Shadowbreath
by She'sLikeTexas
Summary: Two months after the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming, a new threat rises. With the Avengers divided, Peter and the remaining heroes will need to work together to stop the inevitable, but will it be enough?
1. Chapter 1

**Shadowbreath**

**Chapter 1**

Joey threw his long legs over the side of the antiqued loveseat positioned in front of the large flat screen television. He craned his neck to see if he pulled the attention of Luca Russo, the Underboss of the Genovese Family, and the three armed men guarding each doorway.

"_Ragazzo_, how many times have I told you not to jump on your father's furniture like that?" Russo chided from the plush couch, his sharp eyes narrowed at the younger man. "You're twenty-five years old, you should learn how to follow orders."

Joey flashed a handsome smirk at his father's right hand man, delighted to annoy him in any way possible. "But Luca, when the time comes, people will be following _my_ orders. Not the other way around."

Russo snorted, turning his attention back towards the press conference lighting up the television. Colonel James Rhodes was about to announce Tony Stark, the billionaire that the news had been making a huge fuss about. "You've got a long way to go before that's going to happen, kid. You need to gain the respect of the _entire_ family before you take over." He waved his hand loosely, gesturing to Joey, "Just bein' the boss' kid ain't gonna cut it."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Can you at least turn the volume up?" Joey asked, and Russo complied. The sound reverberated throughout the spacious living room, which beat in the heart of the enormous victorian style mansion splayed across a section of 79th street.

The Colonel was dressed sharply in his uniform, adorning an impressive array of medals. _"And now Mr. Stark has prepared a statement. He will not be taking any questions, thank you."_

When Tony Stark appeared, a low rumble erupted from Luca's throat, and Joey raised an eyebrow at the Underboss' obvious contempt for the playboy billionaire. Joey didn't mind him so much, but that was more because he was impressed with Stark's advanced technological discoveries and inventions than anything else. He had even been playing around with the idea of testing his hacking skills out on the genius' system. Who knows what secrets he could uncover with the right motivation.

Tony Stark reached the podium, and tore off his tinted red sunglasses dramatically. "_Uh, it's been a while since I was in front of you, so I'll stick to the cards this time."_ A chorus of laughter murmured throughout the crowd of journalists. _"There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway, and on the rooftop-"_

A woman in the front row interrupted his speech, which was obviously heading towards the denial that he was indeed Iron Man, a name the media coined after the very public battle last night. _"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but do you honestly expect us to believe that it was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared? Despite the fact that-"_ Joey thought the woman had a good point. These publicists didn't stand a chance at convincing the entire world that Tony Stark wasn't involved.

Stark cut her off, trying to salvage the slowly growing protests. _"I know that it is confusing, it is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations or insinuate that I'm a superhero."_

Russo snorted, "Superhero?"

The woman smirked, _"I never said you were a superhero."_

"_You didn't?"_ Stark blinked.

"_Nope_..."

Stark coughed and seemed to pull himself together. "_Well, good. Because that would be outlandish, and uh, fantastic._" True, Joey thought to himself. Being a high powered superhero would be nothing short of fantastic. _"I-I'm just not the hero type, obviously. With this laundry list of character defects, the mistakes I've made, which were largely public-"_

Colonel Rhodes leaned in, stopping the billionaire's word vomit, and Stark nodded, taking a deep breath and holding up his notecard.

"_The truth is…." _He paused for a long moment before looking straight into the camera with a sense of resolve.

"_I am Iron Man."_

The screen shut off abruptly, and Joey began to protest before Russo cut him off. "The nerve of some people." He shook his head distractedly, "The boss isn't going to be pleased with this…"

Joey's brow furrowed at that, "Why would my father care if Tony Stark is Iron Man?"

Luca's dark eyes turned to bore into Joey's, sending a shiver down his spine. There was a reason why Luca Russo held the position he did. "Have you learned nothing of our business, _Ragazzo_? Obadiah had an..._agreement…_" The man said the word with a slight upturn of his lips, "with the Five Families. When Iron Man killed the bastard last night, he cut us off from our supply. The Commision was in the process of putting out a hit on the man behind the suit, but now…" The intimidating man's expression darkened.

Joey swallowed hard, finally understanding. "Tony Stark is untouchable. And he won't be making weapons anymore. Which means…"

"Which means," Both men jumped at the sound of a new, deeper, frighteningly familiar voice, "that we will need to find an alternate solution for our new gap in resources."

The younger man sprung to his feet, instantly casting his eyes down as a show of respect. "Can I be of any help, Father?" Russo followed in a similar manner.

Joseph "Lemon" Genovese stood in the doorframe, almost completely filling it out. His broad shoulders making even the strongest of his surrounding soldiers look small, and the scar trailing from his receding hairline and over his left eye was a simple yet obvious threat of what would happen to you if you disobeyed him. The monster of a man controlled the Genovese family, one of the five mafia families in New York. Even his son, who would eventually become boss one day, stood in rapt attention, showing no signs of disrespect.

The man clapped Joey on the shoulder, succeeding in breaking the tension that had filled the room, "_Mio figlio_, you are to simply continue your studies. We will handle things from here. Won't we, _Sotta Capo_?"

Russo coughed, now being addressed directly, and met his boss' smirk. "Indeed, sir. However, I believe it might be beneficial to bring young _Ragazzo_ along during one of our operations. If we are to be moving our business away from Stark weapons, it could be educational for the boy."

Joey raised an eyebrow and cast a hopeful look at his father, who seemed to be contemplating the idea. The grip on his shoulder tightened, "Consult with Marco, _Sotta Capo_. If he agrees, then I will allow Joey to participate in the next operation. I do not wish to be disappointed."

The young man's heart rate spiked dramatically at the idea of finally getting the opportunity to be involved in his father's business. The Genovese Family had a notable history in New York, and the current hierarchy had been evolving with the availability of Stark Industries' weapons, an idea that would now need to be reconsidered. Evolution...something that he could have a hand in, and eventually take over for himself.

"I won't let you down, Father." Joey expressed earnestly, earning a dark smile from the _capofamiglia_ himself.

XX

Eight weeks following the announcement of Iron Man's true identity, Joey sat in the backseat of a sleek black Accord. Luca sat to his left, shouting angrily at someone through his burner phone. The Underboss hung up abruptly, cutting off whomever he was speaking to.

"Everything alright there, Luca?" Joey asked humorously. It wasn't every day that he got to see the man so riled up, and he had a feeling that whomever pisssed him off wouldn't survive the night.

Russo grunted and dialed another number on his phone. As soon as he placed it to his ear, someone answered. "Angelo, Double the security around the container. Costa gave a report that Iron Man is on patrol tonight. I don't want _anyone_ screwing this shipment up. If it comes to it, shoot to kill." He didn't bother giving the Captain time to respond before he hung up and stuffed the phone into his suit pocket.

The driver leaned his head back, "Sirs, we will arrive at the docks in five minutes."

Joey tapped the headrest twice in response, "Thanks, Amros." He twisted in the seat to face Luca, trying to lighten the mood. It was his first operation, he didn't want to feel the sudden string of nerves that pumped through his system. "So, you think the tin man will give us trouble tonight?"

Russo set his jaw before answering, "I can't be sure, but you'll be staying with me in case he does."

"What, I can't go down to oversee the shipment myself?" Joey asked incredulously. What was the last six weeks of training for if he couldn't be involved?

The older man shook his head and gave Joey a hard look, "If I tell you to stay back with me, _Ragazzo, _then you're staying back with me. Regardless of your future position, I am still your superior. I'm not risking exposing The Boss' kid, _especially_ if Iron Man is around tonight."

Joey leaned back and chewed on the inside of his cheek, he couldn't outright disobey a direct order from the Underboss, no matter who he was. "Can't we move the operation to a later date if you're so worried?"

Russo sighed, obviously having had the same trail of thought. "No. The buyers are here for one night only, and there will be hell to pay if we don't deliver."

"What do you mean?" Joey asked, a heavy block of ice forming in the pit of his stomach.

Before Luca could answer, the car rolled to a stop. "We're here, sirs." They both nodded at Amros, who hurried out of his seat to open Russo's door, followed by Joey's. It was an unspoken rule that all talking would cease as soon as they arrived at their destination, so the eerie silence ricocheted between Joey's ears.

The only sounds to be heard were their light footfalls and the heavy crashing of waves against the docks. Russo walked with a purpose towards the appointed vantage point with a loose hand in the pocket of his pants and the other typing away at his phone. The scene around them was blanketed in darkness, with only the light from a lone street lamp and the full moon to guide their way.

When they arrived at one of the hundreds of large shipping containers, Russo put away his phone and curled his hand into a fist before rapping it against the side four distinct times. For a moment, nothing happened, and Joey wondered if they had gotten lost. It couldn't have been hard to do considering they were in the middle of a surprisingly intricate maze.

Then, the door swung open to reveal five large soldiers in black uniforms. They nodded towards Russo and Joey respectfully before creating a path. No one spoke until the door was shut gingerly behind them, as to limit the amount of noise.

"Welcome, sirs." A raspy voice announced, and Joey instantly recognized Angelo Esposito, his father's Captain. The older man was dressed similarly to his soldiers, but his bulletproof vest donned a Genovese Family crest.

Russo nodded his acknowledgement, "Are we all set, Angelo?"

The Captain grinned, a chilling sight considering the man had seven gold teeth, "Of course, sir. As you requested, I doubled my men on the ground, as well as set up a diversion across the city for Iron Man to ensure that he does not interfere with our business." He showed the pair an ipad with footage of a battle ensuing in Montauk.

Joey turned to see Luca revealing a ghost of a smile, "Very good. Let's proceed. I'm sure _Ragazzo _here is chomping at the bit to see his first operation." The young man nodded discreetly, careful not to show any particularly strong interest or emotion. Marco, his father's Advisor, had taught him that.

Angelo stuck out a hand towards Joey, who grasped it tightly. Another one of Marco's rules. "It's a pleasure to have you with us, young Joseph. I'm sure your father is proud to have you here learning the family business."

"Just Joey, is fine. And I can assure you, he is." Joey responded in a clear, deep voice.

The Captain grinned again, and led them both up the stairs to the third floor. Years ago, the Genovese family welded three shipping containers together for a base of operations at the docks. It was furnished sparingly, as they wanted to ensure that nothing could be traced back to them if it was ever discovered. A slight cut into the side of the third container faced the ocean, giving them the perfect vantage point of the operation below.

A blood red container that Joey recognized from his briefing was placed near the edge of the dock, flanked by at least thirty of his father's soldiers, all of whom sported the last of Stark Industries' Heckler & Koch G36KV's. Angelo moved to stand beside Luca, who wore a perfect mask of indifference.

A static voice reverberated throughout the container, "Buyer is approaching sir." Angelo lifted the radio his mouth and pressed the button, "Copy. Standby."

Sure enough, the ocean's surface bubbled wildly before a sleek black submarine broke into view. It moved steadily towards the dock, where it paused for a few moments. Angelo spoke into his radio once more, "Engage." As soon as the words were spoken, ten of the men surrounding the container moved towards the breached submarine and assisted in its docking. A loading ramp was brought towards the dock, and once it was in place, a man in dark robes carrying a silver suitcase emerged, surrounded by his security team. One of Angelo's soldiers met the crew once they stepped foot onto solid ground, and began escorting them back to the Genovese Family shipping container.

However, before they made it ten feet, a bright beam of light shot towards the group, sending each of them flying backwards. "What the _fuck_ was that!?" Russo exploded, instantly reaching out to grab Joey's arm.

Angelo's eyes were wide, and he spoke quickly into the radio. After three long moments of silence, gunshots erupted around the docks. Every soldier available was shooting into the air, and Joey scanned the dark mass of night trying to figure out what was going on.

Finally, he recognized what the man over the radio was reporting back to Angelo. "_Iron Man_!"

"_Fuck_!" Russo cursed under his breath, and his grip on Joey tightened. "Get us out of here, now!" He commanded Angelo, who grabbed the gun from his holster and led them down the stairs.

Angelo pulled out his phone and dialed out, whoever was on the other line answered instantly. "Start the car, I'll be there with Russo and the kid in two minutes." As they pushed open the container door, he shouted above the gunfire. "Prepare formation! I don't want that hunk of metal anywhere near us!"

While every soldier available circled around Angelo, Luca, and himself, a glock was thrust into his hand. Russo grabbed his collar and pulled him closer, so that he could yell into his ear. "If someone shoots at you, you shoot back. You hear me, _Ragazzo_?"

Joey nodded, trying to bury his wildly escalating fear. His father's largest smuggling operation was being taken down by none other than Iron Man himself, and he wasn't entirely sure how they were going to get out of there. Luckily, Stark was distracted for a few minutes while handling the soldiers and the buyer's men, so Joey and his group almost made it all the way to the car.

When they were a few feet away, gunfire exploded around him. The noise was deafening, and Joey couldn't help the small yelp that escaped when he saw how close the man in armor was. The bullets ricocheted right off his suit, which was terrifying, frustrating, and awe inspiring at the same time. His technology was nothing short of incredible, but it was screwing with his father's business-_his f_uture business.

Russo and Angelo kept firing, but moved discreetly towards the car with Joey while Iron Man attempted to take out the soldiers surrounding them. Their driver, Amros, pushed him inside the Accord, along with the Underboss and Captain. Once they were shielded, he rushed to the trunk and pulled out a freaking _rocket launcher_, another one of Stark's own creations. Amros pushed his knee to the floor to find the right angle, and fired as soon as he locked onto his target. The effect was instantaneous. The low-grade missle shot Iron Man directly in the stomach, and thrust him hundreds of feet away with a large explosion. Their driver clambered to his feet and threw himself into the driver's side seat before slamming on the gas, the tires screeching loudly.

Joey lessened his tight hold on the car's handle, and dared a glance at the two men to his left. He had never seen Luca's face so red before, and the muscles in his neck strained painfully as he screamed at Angelo. "How could this have happened? I thought you made sure he would be distracted while the operation went down!"

Angelo, who was by no means a weak man, had paled considerably. "I have no idea! I had a video feed of Iron Man all the way across town at the same time! I don't know how he could have been two places at once!"

Joey shook his head, which went unnoticed by the two men. Did they really not understand? This was Tony _fucking_ Stark they were talking about.

As they continued to scream at each other, Joey reached out to put his hands on each of their chests, causing both men to flinch. "HEY!"

They instantly shut up, a detail that sent a powerful flutter throughout his chest-but he would think about that later, "I _know_ how he did it!"

Russo's dark eyes narrowed, and he turned in the middle seat to give Joey his full attention. "Please, enlighten me, _Ragazzo_."

As he opened his mouth to explain, an army of police cars soared past them towards the docks, their sirens and flashers alerting everyone in the road to move out of their way. The entire car held their breath for a few moments. When none spun around to follow them, Joey let out a sigh of relief.

The young man swallowed thickly and returned his focus to the Underboss and Captain. "Stark is a _genius_. Do you really think that his own suit is the only one at his disposal? My guess is that he created an entire flock of them, all of which could be controlled by his AI program."

The two men considered him for a moment before Angelo asked, "His AI program?"

Joey nodded. "Yes, I've been researching it for the past few months. He created an artificial intelligence program, J.A.R.V.I.S., that's built into his own suit. I would bet anything that he uses it to control other suits, or bots."

Russo sighed heavily and leaned against the headrest. "If you're right, kid, then we're in deep shit. One Iron Man is enough. I don't know how we can fight an entire team of them."

As they reached the rendezvous point, Joey ran through hundreds of possibilities in his head. If his Father's team couldn't move the supply to their buyers without being caught, then the whole business would go up in flames. The family needed to be protected at all costs, but with men who could build bulletproof suits of armor, the Five Families didn't stand a chance. The Genovese Family needed its own form of protection.

Amros pulled up to the mansion, and opened each of their doors. Russo kept a tight grip on Joey's arm as they made their way inside, as if the Underboss thought he was a flight risk. One of the soldiers stationed in the living room alerted them that his father was waiting for them. Russo deposited Joey on the couch outside of the office with a clap on the shoulder. "Stay here, _Ragazzo_. I'm sure your father will have a few choice words for Angelo and I. You don't need to be around for that."

As soon as the door closed, Joey's temper flared dangerously. Tonight was meant to be his introduction into his Father's business, and Iron Man had _ruined_ it. A fierce hatred burrowed it's way into his chest, and a frenzied plan began piecing itself together within his mind. His father would remember his failure for the rest of his days, _unless_...

Unless he did something to prove himself.

Unless he brought something to the table.

Joey pushed off from his seated position and rushed towards his laptop laying atop the decorated bar. He wasn't as tall, or strong, or brutally vicious as his father, but Joey had his own unique set of skills that he could bring to the table. Once the screen brightened, his fingers danced across the keys, typing in the code that he had spent months creating.

He needed to offer _something_ to his father, something that was big enough to offset the epically proportioned failure of tonight. While the _capofamiglia_ would obviously blame his Underboss and Captain for the disaster at the docks, he would always remember that Joey was involved. The first operation he was a part of, and Iron Man had interfered.

Joey let his hatred of the billionaire fuel his motivation, and promised himself that he would keep searching until he found what he was looking for.

XX

Three weeks later, a soft knock sounded at Joseph "Lemon" Genovese's office door. His dark eyes flickered towards the pristine clock on the wall, two thirty-five in the fucking morning. He fingered the glock that rested in his desk drawer, wondering who possibly could have believed that it was a good idea to disturb him at such an hour, especially with all of the chaos he had been dealing with.

A grunt escaped his throat, a not-so-clear invitation inside. Joseph tried to decipher the kind of mood he was in, as it would directly correlate to his visitor's state of being. Breathing, or choking on their own blood.

The door cracked slowly, and his fingers retracted from the gun immediately once the face of his son appeared in the doorway. The heavy bags underneath his eyes seemed even more prominent than the last time he had seen him. "Joey, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

His son's body seemed to vibrate with excitement, and his eyes flickered across the room hurriedly. Interesting. "I apologize for coming to you so late, Father."

Good, at least the boy had enough sense to know he should not be disturbed at this hour. "I hope it's important," he said curtly, letting his upper lip twitch in annoyance.

Joey nodded quickly, and smirked. "It is, Father. I believe I have found a solution to our problem."

Joseph's frown deepened, creating creases throughout his chiseled face. "Our problem? I don't remember you being involved in the family's problems."

His son gulped loudly, and pulled out the laptop he always carried around with him. Joey moved to the side of his desk, and stood by awkwardly, "Erm..may I?"

With a heavy sigh, Joseph waved his son on to continue. The young man plopped the computer down and pulled up a new screen that showed a picture of a little girl with long black hair, who couldn't be older than six, being held up by two adults who were obviously her parents. He furrowed his brow and waited for Joey to explain.

"I've been busy, Father. I wanted to find a solution to our problem concerning Iron Man's interference with the shipping operation a few weeks back." His voice was raspy from disuse, as Joseph expected it to be. His son had not left his room for the past few weeks. He felt a flare of anger at the mention of the failed trade, and Joseph was reminded that he was in deep shit with the other four families because of that night.

Joey must have sensed his father's change in demeanor, because he pushed ahead quickly. "I thought that we would need a way to fight Iron Man, if he ever tried ruining one of our operations again. After spending some time hacking into Tony Stark's mainframe, I discovered a secret agency called S.H.I.E.L.D."

Joseph's eyebrows shot towards his hairline. _This_ was what his son had been working on?

"I wasn't able to get very far before I was kicked out, but I _was_ able to retrieve a file. It was titled, "ENHANCED." After some research into the people on the list, I was able to determine that this meant that there are people out there who are genetically enhanced, giving them superhuman abilities. Not unlike the abilities Captain America was given back in the forties."

"While I'm impressed at your achievements, son, I fail to see what this has to do with our business?" The list S.H.I.E.L.D. had kept seemed like a win for them, not us.

Joey's' eyes lit up, "It means, Father, that _this_ will solve all of our problems." He pointed to the picture of the little girl again. "This is Alexandria Anderson, a six year old girl who lives in Brooklyn."

He leaned in towards Joseph and grinned, "I think we should consider extending our family tree, don't you think, Father?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **Hi there! I forgot to add a note for the last chapter, but I have finished this story. It will be 27 chapters, around 107,000 words. I'll be updating every Monday & Friday until everything is posted. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you, enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

"_Please...please!" The pure desperation in her mother's voice brought the destructive world around Alex into focus. The middle-aged woman was on her knees, surrounded by shattered glass from the window, blocking the man's view of her daughter._

_Alex's eyes flickered wildly around the room, taking in the swarm of terrifying men dressed in blood red suits. They matched the murky liquid pouring out of her father's chest just five feet away. The man stuck his hand out towards her whimpering mother, enclosing his fist around her thin neck, and slowly lifted her so that her bare feet dangled viciously. Alex tried to scream._

_She tried to do something…anything…_

_But whatever the men had placed across her wrists made her completely and unforgivably useless. "Leave her alone! Please! Leave my mommy alone!" She cried out, not even noticing the cascade of tears pouring out of her eyes, and reached out to beat her small fists against the man's legs. The men surrounding them didn't move an inch in their direction, no doubt realizing that the child was no threat. Not without her powers._

_His icy blue eyes flickered downwards to meet hers, and she felt true fear paralyze her for the first time. While never removing his gaze from Alex, a horrible grin stretched across his marred face, and the man crushed his fist together, effectively ending her mother's movements. Alex dropped to her knees in disbelief, shaking violently from the shock and utter heartbreak of losing the last of her family right before her eyes._

_When the man dropped her mother to the floor like a lifeless ragdoll, she didn't even attempt to move closer to her. Alex knew that she was gone. That her family was gone. Dead._

_And this man was going to kill her too._

_He reached out to brush a stray lock away from her face, and she barely registered the contact. Before her brain could catch up with the chaos that had unfolded, her world exploded in an array of frenzied gunfire and arduous shrieking._

_The door to her bedroom burst open, and men in black uniforms with large guns swept the area, dropping bodies left and right. The gunfire was deafening, but still Alex remained motionless. She didn't even so much as flinch. Her mind was busy replaying the murder of her parents over, over, and over again. The man with the icy blue eyes moved to grab her, and she met his gaze for only a moment before a loud bang stopped every movement in the room. The bad man's eyes fell closed, and he dropped to his knees in front of her. Alex stumbled backwards to avoid his heavy fall, and the silence tore through the entire room as he lay motionless in front of her._

_And then there was _his_ face._

_The one that stopped the bad man._

_The one that saved her._

_He had soft, kind brown eyes that reminded Alex of her favorite chocolates. He knelt down in front of her, handing his gun wordlessly to whomever was next to him. Alex didn't dare move even a muscle, in quiet fear that this new man would want to kill her too._

_Instead of doing exactly that, he gripped her tiny hand in his own, snapping off the disarming bracelets, and looked in her eyes. "Alex, the bad man is gone. I'm not going to let him hurt you anymore. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again, okay?"_

_His words sped her brain up to her current reality, and her entire body broke out into shock-inspired vibrations. "W-w-who a-are y-y-ou?" Her quivering voice escaped barely above a whisper, but the new man seemed to have heard it nonetheless. He smiled warmly at her, such a stark contrast to the bad man, making her feel completely, and utterly safe._

"_My name is Joey, and I'm going to take care of you. I promise. You're safe now."_

_Safe._

_Joey was the name of the man who saved her._

_Joey is the name of the man who would keep her safe._

XX

**Ten Years Later…**

Alexandria Genovese woke with a start, springing forward and completely tangling herself between the sheets of her queen sized bed. Her breaths were coming in shallow and rapid, and a thin line of sweat gathered across her forehead.

A knock on her bedroom door shook the last painful image of the bad man's icy blue eyes from her vision, and she willed herself to calm down. It was just a dream. Just another nightmare.

"Alexandria? Are you okay in there?" A familiar, rough voice sounded, his hand moving to turn the knob.

She wiped her brow shakily, "Y-yes, Marco! I'm fine." She didn't want him to come in to see her obviously distressed by the recurring nightmare. Everyone in the family was already aware of her "little" problem, so there was no sense in getting her grandfather's Advisor riled up yet again.

"Are you sure?" Marco asked, completely unconvinced.

Alex huffed, and pushed herself away from the warmth and comfort of her bed. After a few quiet moments, she was able to get her breathing under control long enough to check out her reflection in the mirror. Her thin face was paler than normal, and her thick black hair was in complete disarray. Alex quickly ran her fingers through the looser knots and swept a mask of indifference across her face before opening the door.

Marco Alfonsi stepped back as soon as she was in view, and the man who guarded her room, Stephan, moved down the hallway to give them privacy. "See, I'm fine. Just in desperate need of a shower."

The corner of the Advisor's lips twitched upwards, and he shook his head fondly. "If you say so. Your father would like to remind you that your first round of testing begins at eight a.m. sharp."

Alexandria checked the small, gold-plated watch that donned her wrist, "Marco, I still have an hour before I need to be in the training room. You really didn't need to wake me up for this."

He shrugged his shoulder noncommitedly, his slicked back hair never daring to move an inch from its gelled position. "I know, but I had a feeling that you would need to be awakened." When she studied the familiar lines creasing his face, Marco suddenly became very interested in his fingernails.

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep her in emotions in check. "Are you tell me that you came to my room because you knew I was having a nightmare?" She hated when her grandfather's men babied her. She wasn't a child in need of their protection anymore, Alex was stronger than their whole army put together. Her father had made it perfectly clear that she would need to be able to take care of herself, especially if the _capofamiglia_ was going to put the lives of their family in her hands.

The Advisor gave her a soft smile, and pulled out a monogrammed handkerchief from his suit pocket to offer her. "I have known you for ten years, my dear. I know when the demons choose to haunt your sleep. However, I did also want to ensure that you were prepared for today. This is a big step...for all of us."

Alex ignored the token of chivalry and rather, stepped backwards, retreating into the threshold of her room, away from the man who was like an uncle to her. "Thank you for your consideration, Marco, but as you are fully aware, I can take care of myself. I am also well aware of today's importance. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to shower before meeting my instructors."

The dismissal was obvious, and Marco wasn't a stupid man, so he nodded his acknowledgement politely. "Of course, my dear. Just remember, I am always here if you wish to talk. Good luck today, the family is counting on you." He gave her a knowing look and turned back down the hall, gesturing for Stephan to return to his post.

Alex closed the door behind her and leaned back against it, heavily. After ten years, one would think that the memory of the night her life changed forever would fade away into oblivion, or that she would have blocked it out in any way, shape or form, but no such luck.

She was burdened with the reminder that a madman broke into her home when she was six years old and murdered her parents in cold blood, just because of what she could do. Because she was "special," as her parents used to describe it. They had explained her enhanced abilities early on, but the gravity of the situation never set in until that night. The night she remembered her entire world going up in flames, before Joey, her adopted father, saved her.

If he hadn't of gotten there in time, there was no doubt in Alex's mind that she would not be here today. Joey took her in, no questions asked. He treated her like the daughter he never had, and suddenly, she belonged. She belonged to a family who saw her for who she was and could be, who understood her powers and helped her hone the skills she never even dreamed of possessing. Joey promised that he would protect her, and over the past ten years, he had done just that.

Alex was more than aware of the life debt she owed to the man. When he killed the bad man so many years ago, Joey ingrained in her a sense of fierce protectiveness and duty that Alex never knew she could feel. He helped her become the girl, the warrior, and the weapon she was today. Who was strong enough to protect the ones she loved, so that what happened the night her parents died would never happen again. The tests she had been training ten years for had finally arrived, and she would _not_ fail.

Her alarm clock rang loudly, spouting the lyrics to the Pistol Annies' _"I Feel A Sin Comin' On," _and shaking her out of the spiral of memories. Alex moved quickly to turn it off, but switched on her bluetooth speaker so that the song could continue while she got ready. While belting out the lyrics, she made her bed, careful to pull the comforter back neatly (just the way Marco taught her) and locked herself in the large bathroom.

_I feel a sin comin' on_

_I feel a right that's about to go wrong_

Although she couldn't quite remember her life before Joey, she was certain that her old home wasn't nearly as incredible as the mansion they currently resided in. The family lived like kings and queens, and she felt lucky to be a part of it. The large vanity mirror was adorned with fancy golden lights, giving the entire bathroom a bright regal look. Even her towels were the best money could buy, a fact that she would never get tired of.

_I got a shiver down to the bone_

_I feel a sin comin' on_

Alex waited for the shower to heat to her liking before stepping into the massive claw-foot tub, still singing along to the music. The water trickled down her skin, washing away the last remaining thoughts about that night ten years ago.

_And you can see it_

_All over my face_

It was time to focus on the here and now. The tests she would encounter today would determine if she was ready to take her place as the Protector, or as some liked to call it, the Enforcer, of the family. Alex was stronger, faster, and more powerful than ever before. She would make her father proud, and prove that she could evolve into the warrior he always knew she could become.

_Sweet temptation_

_All over the place_

He even picked out a name for the future mantle she would assume.

_Please Jesus don't hold me back_

_I know it ain't mine but I want it so bad_

Alexandria "_Shadowbreath_" Genovese. She smirked widely, it had a nice ring to it.

_I feel a sin comin' on_

XX

Peter was in frantic pursuit of a charcoal grey Honda Civic that barreled across Queens Boulevard when his suit's caller ID lit up.

"Incoming call from Aunt May, Peter." Karen's voice interrupted his quick calculations of the perfect spot to web towards the escaping bank robbers from.

"Uh, uh.." he sprung forward off of a building and flicked his web shooters towards the car's front right tire, causing it to spin out to a stop. "Okay, accept!" He rolled effortlessly onto the pavement, quite pleased with his pursuit.

"Peter Benjamin Parker, you better be on your way home _right now_. We are going to be late!" May's use of his middle name made him wince, and he entrapped the car's occupants in webbing when they tried to scramble out.

"Er, of course I am-Ah HAH!" He did a little jig when the bank robbers struggled within their traps, shouting out curses and profanities. "What was that? I couldn't hear you over all of the _badassness_ that just went down."

"_Ahem_."

Peter froze. Oh right, he was on the phone with Aunt May. And he was in the middle of assuring her that he would be home soon so that they weren't late for dinner. "Er, Karen, can you call the cops and let them know that I've left them a nice package?"

"Of course, Peter. They have already been alerted."

He webbed up to the closest building and headed towards his apartment, "Okay, _now_ I'm headed back, May. Don't leave without me!"

A familiar voice echoed through May's phone line. "Is the kid coming, or what?" Uh oh, Happy did not sound happy.

His aunt reassured the driver, or bodyguard, or whatever his job was, that Peter would be along soon, and abruptly hung up the call. Damn, Happy was already waiting for him at the apartment. Peter picked up the speed, making it home and through his window in four minutes flat, a new record. He quickly webbed his door closed, peeled off the suit and scrambled into the bathroom for a quick shower.

"Peter, is that you?" He heard May call out from behind his bedroom door.

"Yeah, I'm almost ready!" He shouted, rinsing the last of the shampoo from his hair. It had been two months since Tony Stark had offered him a position among the Avengers, a decision Peter didn't regret turning down.

Okay, maybe a _little_.

But he knew he wasn't ready for the big leagues yet, and Mr. Stark claimed to have seen the wisdom in Peter's decision. When they parted ways, Peter was sure the billionaire would have Happy return to the hands-off "babysitting" technique he had used when it came to watching over him. Instead, Mr. Stark reached out _personally_ about twice a week and asked for reports on Spiderman's nightly patrols, an order Peter had no problem following. Anything to stay in his hero's good graces. Most of the time, the billionaire would stay on the phone with him for longer than the quick five minute updates, and the two would talk about whatever was going on in each of their lives. Lately, Peter found himself counting down the minutes until their scheduled phone calls. While he was overly ecstatic that Mr. Stark had taken an interest in him, Peter couldn't help but be nervous that the billionaire would bring up his monumental screw up with the whole Ferry thing...

And then that irrational fear would lead him to remembering when he crashed Mr. Stark's plane…Not that the billionaire blamed Peter for that, but he still couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He still had painfully vivid nightmares of the Vulture, so he tried to distract himself from spiraling down the rabbit hole of memories whenever possible. Having his hero talk through some idea for the Spider-Man suit, or remember the science project he was working on always seem to do the job.

Once he was satisfied with his level of cleanliness, Peter shut off the water and dried off in record time. He threw on a pair of jeans and a nice button down shirt May had left out for him, and slipped on his converse before slicing through his webbing and opening the door.

Happy stood there next to Aunt May with a goofy smile on his face. She laughed at something he said, and Peter raised awkward eyebrow at the exchange. They must have sensed his presence, because they both blushed and turned their attention to Peter.

"Finally! We've been waiting for fifteen minutes, love." May chided with her hands resting on her narrow hips.

Happy smirked and pulled out his sunglasses, "That's alright, I had some good company." He winked at Peter, and the boy felt his face heat up ten degrees. Uh, _gross_. The driver gestured towards the door, "Let's get this show on the road. Mr. Stark is waiting."

Peter swallowed hard and followed them both out of the apartment and into the Audi A8 L, one of Mr. Stark's new toys. Once their seatbelts were fastened, Happy peeled off, throwing Peter's stomach into a blender of adrenaline.

May gripped the backseat armrest, but laughed loudly in exhilaration. "This car is incredible!"

Happy grinned at her from the rearview mirror, "Tell me about it! Hold on." He pushed the accelerator down further, and Peter prepared himself to feel his Spidey Sense go off, but it never came. Huh, Happy really does know what he's doing.

They made it to the Avengers Compound in about fifty minutes, all of which were filled by May and Happy's chatter that he really hadn't paid any attention to. Peter was too nervous thinking about why Mr. Stark invited them to dinner. Was he in trouble? Did he do something wrong again?

Peter tried to think back to the past two months, and couldn't find anything specific that might have made Mr. Stark angry. For some reason, the thought of disappointing the billionaire again made his stomach tighten anxiously. Peter wanted nothing more than to please his mentor, and he prayed that this dinner was a positive one.

Maybe Mr. Stark needed him for another mission? Or wanted to extend another invitation to join the Avengers? He couldn't say no a second time, could he?

Peter was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice when they pulled into the Compound's garage. "You alright, kid?" Happy asked as he turned off the engine. "You sure have been quite tonight."

May shot him a worried look and reached a hand over his cheeks, "You seem a little warm, love. Are you getting sick?"

Peter gave her a small smile and pulled out of her grasp, gracefully exiting the car. Thirty of the world's most beautiful high-end cars were parked around them, and he couldn't help but admire Mr. Stark's taste. "Aunt May, I have an enhanced healing ability. I can't get sick." He shrugged and followed them towards the elevator, "I guess I'm a little nervous is all."

The elevator was spacious enough to hold at least fifteen people, so the trio spread out easily with Happy near the doors. Peter leaned back against the gold plated railing and realized there weren't any buttons. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., the dining room, please." Happy called out, and May jumped when a woman's voice responded.

"Of course, Mr. Hogan. Welcome to the Avengers Compound."

Peter grinned at May's stunned face, loving how Mr. Stark's technology just got cooler and cooler every time he saw the man. The elevator ride brought them quickly to their destination and opened smoothly to a hallway that led to the enormous kitchen on their left, and a dining room that could hold a small army to their right. Oh yeah, this was meant to hold the Avengers, of course there would be plenty of space. It made him a little sad to know Earth's Mightiest Heroes were so scattered.

Mr. Stark and Miss Potts were leaning against the bar that backed up to the marble island. He was dressed sharply in a navy blue suit and red tie, with his usual tinted sunglasses, and she looked beautiful in her slim fitting cream dress and pumps. They smiled widely at their guests' entrance, and Peter tried to control the frenzied hero worship he felt anytime he saw Mr. Stark.

"Kid, May! Welcome!" The billionaire opened his arms and gestured for them to come in. Happy moved off to the side while Pepper shook Aunt May's hand. Peter figured Mr. Stark would go in for a handshake as well, so he was surprised when the man engulfed him in a hug. _Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap. Iron Man is hugging me_!

Peter let himself enjoy his mentor's warmth before Mr. Stark pulled away to greet his aunt, and the absence was quickly replaced by a hug from Pepper as well. That was certainly a nice surprise, considering he hadn't actually met the woman in person before.

"Peter, I'm so happy to finally meet you." She stepped back to look at him, still holding onto his upper arms. "Tony's told me so much about you."

He raised his eyebrows in shock, "He has?"

Pepper smiled warmly at him, and she instantly reminded him of May. "Of course. And I've also seen the footage of you in Germany. Very impressive. He likes to show you off." Peter's ears reddened, and he placed a nervous hand behind his head.

Mr. Stark interrupted them, placing one hand on the small of Pepper's back and resting the other on Peter's shoulder. "Don't embarrass the kid, Miss Potts. He isn't used to all of the attention." He winked at Peter, "Don't worry though, he'll learn to love it when he spends enough time around me."

May laughed at his joke while Peter still tried to figure out what was going on. Before he could ask, Mr. Stark ushered them into the dining room. "You guys arrived just in time, Pep just finished up an incredible looking Beef Brasato with Pappardelle."

"One of Tony's mom's recipes." Pepper clarified and moved the dish onto the dining room table, in the center of the four place setting available.

Aunt May sniffed the air and sighed happily, "Well it smells heavenly, I can't wait to try it. Thank you so much for inviting us." Peter tried to smile his appreciation as well, but his stomach was tight again. Mr. Stark talked to Miss Potts about him? So that meant that he wasn't mad at Peter, right? Or maybe this was all a set up before telling May about his most recent failure, or-

"Kid? Want to sit down?" Mr. Stark's voice broke him out of his array of thoughts, and Peter realized that the the other three had already taken their places. Weird, Miss Pott's sat next to Aunt May, which left Peter to take the seat next to Mr. Stark.

"Er, yes. Sorry." He quickly took his place and gulped down water from the crystal glass in front of him.

May licked her lips and laughed lightly, "Peter's a little nervous. He isn't sure why you asked us here."

Peter's ears flared red again, "May!" He cursed his voice for cracking, and Mr. Stark cackled loudly, slapping an arm around Peter's chair.

"Don't worry kid, you haven't done anything wrong." Peter swore he could have gotten high off of the instant relief he felt wash through his veins.

He coughed awkwardly, trying not to feel self conscious about the billionaire's arm around him. "Oh, er...then why did you ask us to dinner?"

Miss Potts shot a smirk over at the billionaire, and the two seemed to have a silent argument that was filled with boisterous sarcasm based on the facial expressions between them.

Finally, Mr. Stark grinned like a maniac, "Fine, fine. I was going to wait until after dinner to talk to you about this but…" He suddenly turned in his seat to completely face Peter.

"How would you like to be my actual intern, kid?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: **Happy Friday folks! Just a small reminder that I don't own anything Marvel related. I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

"Y-your Intern?" Peter sputtered.

Despite the amused look on Mr. Stark's face, he didn't seem to be joking. "Intern, apprentice, Avenger-in-training, whatever you want to call it."

He sighed dramatically and clapped Peter on the shoulder, "In case you haven't noticed, kid, the Avengers are spread pretty thin these days. Rhodey and Agent Romanoff are out on mission to who knows where, Banner and Thor aren't even on Earth anymore, Clint and Scott are on house arrest after the Germany fiasco, and the rest of the team is in the wind." Mr. Stark ran a hand through his hair, something Peter noticed the billionaire did when he was anxious. "Thanks to an _untraceable-_" Mr. Stark winked at his guests, "-technological security breach on the Raft, Sam and Wanda were broken out. One would have to assume that they're with Cap and his sidepiece with the metal arm. Not even _I_ could find them, even if I wanted to."

Pepper coughed lightly, "Not that you would want to, Tony."

Mr. Stark grimaced at his CEO and girlfriend, "of course not." He turned back to Peter, "Vision hightailed it out of here as soon as Wanda was on the loose, and so we've got to assume they are sipping coconut juice on a beach somewhere in Fiji. Or, at least, she is. I don't think Viz has evolved enough to replicate a digestive system."

Aunt May took a bite of her lasagna before interjecting. "So, what does all of this have to do with Peter? You want a sixteen year old kid to jump into the Avengers because the team broke up?"

Pepper touched May's hand softly and shook her head, "Of course not. Tony's just lonely all by himself here in the compound. He misses having everyone around."

If May and Peter were surprised at Pepper's revelation, it was nothing compared to the look of complete and utter betrayal on Mr. Stark's face. "Why I NEVER…" he started loudly, but after a fierce eyebrow pop from Pepper, he seemed to change his tune immediately, "Okay, okay, _fine_." Mr. Stark grumbled and drummed his fingers against the table, "_Maybe_ it's a little quiet around here. And _maybe_ I was thinking the kid could come up here on the weekends and work with me in the lab, or train with Iron Man in the gym upstairs. He's lacking when it comes to hand-to-hand combat."

Peter's mind was in complete overload with the insane amount of information delivered to him in less than a minute. Besides Iron Man, only Black Widow and War Machine were readily available for Avengers missions? Everyone else was ether off in space, a war criminal, or hiding out with one. And Mr. Stark wanted _him_ around? And maybe even, heaven forbid, _missed _him? No, no, that last one was a little crazy.

Next to the day Mr. Stark gave him the Spider-Man suit, this might be the coolest thing that had ever happened to him. Iron Man wanted to work with _him_ in the lab? Wanted to train with _him_? Peter was just a kid from Queens.

"Y-yes!" Peter practically screamed the word, causing the three adults to raise their brows in amused surprise. He forced himself to take a deep breath and tried again, "I mean, t-this is an incredible opportunity, Mr. Stark, I would be honored to come hang out with you here!"

The billionaire snorted, "I don't know how much 'hanging out' we'll be doing kid, but I like your enthusiasm. If you're going to be my intern, mentee, apprentice-whatever you want to call it, you'll be working hard."

Peter didn't hesitate to nod excitedly, practically buzzing with anticipation. "I won't let you down, Mr. Stark!"

Aunt May smiled warmly at the exchange, obviously realizing how big of a deal it was for Peter to receive this kind of attention from his hero. "I'm sure Peter will be a great asset to your work, Mr. Stark. He _could_ be a little more excited though, if you ask me." Miss Potts and Mr. Stark barked out surprised laughter at May's teasing, and Peter's cheeks warmed up in embarrassment.

Before he could apologize for his abundance of energy, Pepper reached across the table to place her hand over his. "Peter, don't even think about apologizing. I think Tony is just as excited as you are."

Peter turned to the billionaire for confirmation, and he was rewarded with a wink. _Freaking yes_!

Mr. Stark clapped his hands together loudly, "Alright then. Now that that's over with, let's dig in. My mouth has been watering ever since Pepper asked what my favorite dish was earlier today."

Peter complied and took a bite of the lasagna, his brain still trying to catch up to the fact that he would now be getting to spend every weekend hanging out with his hero-_Iron Man_.

Life was good-wait no. Life was _freaking amazing_.

XX

"_Get up, Alexandria." Joey commanded, his voice clear and strong from the viewing stands._

_Alex struggled to push up to her elbows, spitting blood onto the worn mat. Her bones quivered, and her muscles refused to move another inch, so she fell back onto her stomach._

_Her instructor let out a huff of displeasure, but moved away when Joey strolled over to their position. Alex noticed that the family members kept a wide berth of the Boss' son since she arrived eleven months ago. At first she believed it to be out of respect, but the wild determination in his eyes made her think that maybe it was more out of fear._

_She averted her eyes when Joey crouched down next to her. He waited a beat before addressing Alex in a low, quite tone that was probably meant to comfort her. "Alexandria, what promise did I make to you when I took you in?"_

"_That you would keep me safe." She answered immediately, finally raising her gaze to meet the brown eyes that always gave her a surge of warmth._

_Joey held his palms out, "And what do you believe I hope to achieve by having you take these martial arts classes?"_

_Alex chewed on the inside of her cheek, exhaustion still racking her body. "You want me to be able to protect myself even without my abilities."_

"_Exactly!" He snapped his fingers right next to her ear, causing her to flinch. "You are a strong girl, Alexandria, and I want you to learn that you always, always need to get back up when you are knocked down." Joey slid his hands around her sore arms and pulled her up to her feet. "You are destined for great things, mi figlia. When you fall, I want you to rise up, high and magnificent like those skyscrapers in the city that you like so much."_

_A familiar stirring wormed its way into her chest, and Alex took a deep breath. Joey was right, what happened that night could never happen again. She needed to be strong, with or without her powers. An image of the lone World Trade Center rose to the surface of her memories, and she pulled away from Joey's grip._

_Alex turned towards her instructor and held up curled fists, ignoring her shaking arms. "Go again."_

_XX_

_Alex shook her head, retreating back into Marco's arms. "No, no I can't do this."_

_Joey's face fell with disappointment, and Alex felt her gut wrench. She would do anything for the man she now thought of as her father, she really would. But this was asking too much. How could anyone be so cruel?_

_He knelt down so that they were eye level, and she had to fight the instinct to shrink back. Joey gripped her chin and pulled her closer. "Alexandria, you are eight years old now. Do you believe you are old enough to be a part of this family?"_

_She nodded her head, her heartbeat picking up wildly. They were all she had now. If she didn't have the Genovese family, then she had nothing. She had no identity. No home._

"_Then you are old enough to help protect us. That man in there has information of a plot to hurt the capofamiglia. To hurt my father, your grandfather." His deep voice sent chills crawling up her spine. "You are the only one who can help, mi figlia. This family saved you two years ago, and now you have a good enough grip on your abilities to help save us. Can you do that?"_

_She didn't want to. Alex wanted nothing more than to leap into Marco's arms, to have him escort her back to her bedroom where she could curl up and hide away. She didn't want to hurt anybody._

_But he wasn't giving her a choice. The man in there was threatening the Boss, and Alex had been here long enough to know that was unacceptable. The Five Families were untouchable and dangerous, but none so more than the Genovese Family. If she was going to grow up to be strong enough to protect herself, Joey was adamant that she needed to get over her aversion to their methods. This was a test, and she was failing._

_The room fell silent as a figure appeared in the doorway. She broke away from Joey's grasp to find the capofamiglia's eyes on her. Alex's breath hitched, and she immediately dipped her chin low out of respect. Joey backed away as her grandfather approached._

"_Alexandria, look at me." She complied shakily. "Come. We are in need of your services." Alex might be able to say no to her father, but nobody, _nobody_ said no to the Boss. She wetted her lips and reached out to grasp his outstretched hand. His mammoth paw gripped hers tightly, and he led her into the next room. It was spacious enough, with organic earth lining the ground and columns of fire staggered along the walls. Her own personal torture chamber._

_There was a man standing in the middle of the room with chains gripping his wrists, holding him in place. Slight bruising could be seen across his cheek, but otherwise he was healthy. They were waiting for her do the rest._

_Alex looked up towards her grandfather, silently awaiting his instructions._

_When he spoke, the sound echoed around the room, almost tangible. "I will give you one last chance to reveal your employer's name."_

_The man didn't seem to be deterred by her presence, which was to be expected. She wasn't exactly the type people went around cowering in fear over. At least, not yet. She was eight years old for heaven's sake. If anything, the man was amused. An ugly smirk donned his face, and he shrugged. "I think you're losing your touch, Joseph. Bringing a little girl down here to scare me into talking? My employer will be happy to know that you've gone senile."_

_Her grandfather sighed in disappointment. He squeezed her hand and crouched down so they were eye level. "My dear, I need you to make the bad man talk. Can you do that?"_

_No, she wanted to say. Please let me go back to my room._

_Instead, she nodded. The Boss leaned forward to kiss her hair softly before rising back to his feet. He released her, and took a step backwards. Alex swallowed thickly before turning her attention to the man. She steadily reminded herself that he was bad. Evil. He wanted to hurt her family, the ones that kept her safe. It was only fair that she could return the favor._

_Alex walked up to him, focusing on his narrowed deep blue eyes. If she used her imagination, Alex could picture the color shifting lighter and lighter until they were like ice. She reached both hands outwards and tightened the pull in her gut. She called on the flames that were contained along the walls, and forced them to dance their way around her thin arms._

_The man's eyes slowly widened in confusion, then fear as he watched the fire bend to her will. She took a step forward, and he began to wrench in his chains. "What the fuck is going on? Get this crazy bitch away from me!"_

_She crossed her arms, sending the lick of flames across his abdomen, and he screamed as the burns etched into his skin._

_Her grandfather stood a few feet behind her, and she could hear the frown in his voice. "If you wish to live through this, I would suggest you refrain from using such language in front of the child."_

_The man cursed again, and Alex swiped her hands upwards, sending the heat across his chest. He choked in pain, the curses steadily disappearing into whimpers. She pushed again, fighting hard to ignore the screams that would implant themselves into her memory._

"_Now. I believe you had some information you were about to give us?"_

XX

_Alex brought her knees to her chest atop the wide windowsill in the living room, staring out at the changing leaves. She sighed heavily and rested her head against the cool glass. "Father?"_

_Joey looked up from the book he was reading while nestled into the comfortable armchair. "Hm?"_

"_Why can't I go to school? It gets so boring here with the tutors."_

_Without looking at him, Alex could guess that his thick brow had furrowed when he set down the book. "You know why, Alexandria. You need to be protected from the outside world. It's dangerous out there for an Enhanced individual like yourself." She heard him rise from his chair, and scooted back along the windowsill so that he could have room to sit near her feet. "Tell me, mi figlia, what would you really like to ask?"_

_She sighed, meeting his gaze and giving a noncommittal shrug. "There just aren't any other kids here at the mansion. I don't meet anyone my own age."_

_Joey raised a hand to pat her on the knee. "Children do not belong within our ranks. You are twelve years old now, my dear, and already far more advanced than men much older than yourself. Is Marco not providing you with adequate entertainment?"_

_Alex wanted to groan and smart off at him, but she had come to learn that disrespect was taken very, very seriously within the Genovese Family. Her father had built a room specifically to punish her in when she acted out, and Alex had no desire to be sent there again. So instead, she chewed on her bottom lip and shook her head, trying a different approach. "Marco is great, that's not the problem. Maybe…maybe I would feel a little better if I was able to take a trip outside the mansion? Maybe to a movie or something? Chaperoned, of course." She added quickly._

_Her father stared hard at her, and Alex had to fight down the impulse to squirm. She could tell he was considering it, but she silently prayed for a gesture of good will rather than a trade off. Things like this were never given freely. They were earned._

"_Perhaps we could come to an understanding, Alexandria."_

_Shoot. She shouldn't have asked. She should have just been happy with the mansion, the tutors, and Marco._

_A dark grin stretched across Joey's handsome face. "I will agree to grant you a chaperoned trip or two outside of the mansion in return for a task we would normally entrust to Angelo." He watched her carefully as he continued. "An enemy of the family needs to be disposed of. Evidence leaves behind a trail that leads straight to us. You can help us with that."_

_Alex swung her legs over the windowsill, standing up to pace the room. "No, Father, I-I apologize for bringing anything up in the first place. I-I'm happy where I am. I do not wish to be involved in Family politics."_

_She silently prayed that he would allow her to take it back, but the look on his face just thickened the pit writhing in her stomach. "Alexandria, you can either do this and receive something you wish in return, or Frankie can escort you down to the Fold before I ask you a second time." Alex stiffened at the mention of that dreaded room, fighting to hold down a shudder. "Do you so easily forget the debt you owe this family?"_

"_No, Father, of course not." She replied immediately, straightening her back and intertwining her fingers. She owed this to them. No matter what her feelings towards the Family's method of doing business, Alex knew she wasn't able to refuse an order. Better for her to at least pretend to do this on her own terms than have to endure the Fold again. "I apologize." She returned to her spot on the windowsill, bringing her knees to her chest and dipping her chin. "I'd be happy to serve the Family in anyway that I can. I-I would also like to accept your offer, if it still stands."_

_Joey gave her a fond smile and reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "I will speak with Marco about taking you out tomorrow. Tonight, report to your grandfather's office at ten o'clock sharp. Angelo will provide you with the details of your mission tonight."_

_That night, Alex took her first life._

_The next day, as promised, Marco took her outside of the mansion, just for fun, for the first time in six years._

XX

"Are you sure she can handle this, _Ragazzo?_" Luca asked as he peered out through the tinted glass window into the training room. The Boss, Underboss, Captain, and Advisor stood around, anxiously waiting for Alexandria's final test to begin.

Joey's grin darkened his face, and Marco couldn't help the shiver that crawled down his spine at the sight. "How can you doubt her, Luca?" He gestured towards the screen on the north wall, which outlined Alexandria's results on the last three tests. "The tutors assured us that she was extremely well versed in Italian, Russian, and Spanish, Angelo couldn't stop singing her praises on how well she handled each weapon presented to her, and Master Feong was taken down in sixty-three seconds." Joey opened his arms widely, "What more could you want?"

_For her to be a normal teenager_, Marco thought. He would never openly oppose the wishes of the _capofamiglia_ orhis son, but the thought of Alexandria taking on _thirty _of Angelo's best soldiers at once caused a trickle of fear to spread through the Advisor's nervous system. She was only sixteen after all, and Joey had transformed his charge into a weapon.

Luca nodded wearily and returned his attention to the training room. It was no secret that ever since that fateful night ten years ago, each of the Genovese Family's most powerful men were twisted around the girl's finger. Marco still felt sick whenever he thought about how she came to stay with them, but he wouldn't change what happened. The deception was necessary to bring such an incredible child into their lives. While she was more powerful than any of them could have imagined, Alexandria was still the most grounded individual Marco had ever met.

She was kind, deceptively funny, and her sense of loyalty eclipsed all others'. Just the other day, she made him stop the car in the middle of a busy street when a duck and her ducklings were trying to cross. Alexandria didn't hesitate to jump out of the backseat to help them along, flipping anyone off that honked their horn at her.

Of course, while she was busy being too pure for their world, Marco took note of those cars' license plates, and sent a few of Angelo's soldiers to completely dismantle the vehicles later on that night. Joseph's closest associates did not handle the mistreatment of Alexandria well. Over the past ten years, the girl had become like the daughter none of them ever had.

With the exception of young Joey, of course. Marco silently fumed as he considered the fact that the _capofamiglia's_ son was Alexandria's legal guardian, and she had grown to see him as her father. Joey put on an impressive mask in front of the girl, showering her with fictitious love and forged affection, all while manipulating her from behind the curtain. He believed her to be an asset. A weapon. Marco believed Joey to have an ulterior motive to Alexandria's abilities that extended beyond simply offering protection for the Family, but he would never speak out against him. Not if he wanted to keep his head.

Angelo, Luca, and Marco all grumbled their quiet worries and turned their attention back to the training room. "The Asset will be _more _than successful today, I promise you that. Once she assumes the mantle of _Shadowbreath_, we can finally take our rightful place among The Commission."

The _capofamiglia_ laced his meaty fingers together and cracked his knuckles, as if the anticipation of the next Commission meeting was getting to be too much. Joseph had waited years for this opportunity. "Alexandria has done well up to this point. I look forward to observing how she handles a small army. She will need to be prepared if we are to pull off what we intend to."

No one spoke after that, knowing it was dangerous to their health to even think about speaking out of term once the Boss ended the conversation. So Marco swallowed dully, sending silent prayers up to the Virgin Mary that Alexandria would fail her task.

Perhaps failure would be enough to save an innocent girl from the fate her family had planned for her.

XX

Alex moved across the room as nothing more than a vicious blur. Thirty soldiers spun around her expertly, trying to hit their target with even one drop of paint stocked within their guns. Her final test was to incapacitate the enemy without using her powers, and Alex hadn't felt the need to slip up once.

She tore between one of the soldier's legs and swiftly delivered two Phoenix eye punches to his nerve endings, causing the man to cry out in pain and fall roughly to his knees. Alex barrel rolled across his now horizontal back and grabbed the weapon from his hands. She slammed the butt of the gun against the base of the soldier's head, sending him crumbling to the ground.

Alex spun around and pulled the trigger six times in rapid succession, nailing each one of her targets in between their eyes. She flipped to avoid shots from her left, landing right in front of another soldier. As he reached to grab her, Alex crushed her head against his, the force knocking him instantly unconscious, and slipped the weapon from his hands. She grabbed his collar and lifted the soldier up, using him as a makeshift shield against the onslaught of ammunition. Alex deposited him roughly onto the ground and slung the straps of both guns across her shoulders, running straight towards the east wall before ricocheting between it and the adjacent column and flipping upwards towards the ceiling.

She narrowly avoided another round of shots by jumping across the thin ducts, simultaneously pulling out one of the guns and planting four more paintball masks across her targets.

Twelve down, eighteen to go.

Alex made it to the corner of the ceiling in four seconds, ducking behind the only column high enough to provide cover. She caught her breath for five counts, calculating exactly where she heard each of the shots originating from as they hit the backside of her hiding place. "You can do this, you can do this." Alex muttered to herself, pulling out the second gun and positing both of them across her breasts in preparation. She grunted and spun to her left, firing below rapidly as she leaped across the ducts along the ceiling, and circled back.

Fourteen.

Eighteen.

Twenty-three.

Twenty-five.

_Ha_! She caught her breath as she slid behind the column again. Alex checked herself over quickly to ensure that she wasn't hit-nope, she was clean. _Excellent_.

Five more targets to go, but one of her guns was out of ammo, so she rolled to her right and chunked it below, directly hitting one of the last remaining soldiers in the forehead, knocking him out cold.

Twenty-six down. Four more to go.

Right before she made herself vulnerable again to take out the last of her targets, a familiar voice sounded over the speakers.

"Alexandria, I would like to see you incapacitate the remainder of the targets with your abilities." Her grandfather's request had her mind churning immediately, trying to determine exactly what he wanted her to do. She needed to be _perfect _to receive his approval.

There was no doubt in Alex's mind that the entire team was watching from behind the tinted glass, and whichever aspect of her abilities she chose to use would determine if her performance was well received.

Alex deliberated for a few moments before deciding that the majority of her grandfather's top counselors liked a show. Over the past ten years, she had grown to expect the Family's otherworldly bloodlust, regardless of her own feelings towards meaningless violence. Today was about impressing _them_, so if it was a show they wanted, it was a show they would get.

She focused her concentration inward, and sighed in ecstasy when she felt the powerful pull deep within her gut. Alex capitalized on the tingling feeling that danced within her veins, and leaped down onto the ground. The remaining four soldiers emptied their rounds in her direction. However, seconds before they reached Alex, a solid wall of earth sprung out of the ground and took the hits. In the back of her mind, Alex guessed that the other side of the wall probably looked like a really intense piece of graffiti.

When she heard the empty _clicking_ of her target's triggers, she tightened her fists, and the wall of earth crumbled to her will. Alex grinned at the fear she saw reflected in the soldier's eyes, and took a deep breath in. She sprung from her position, twisting in the air for momentum, and forced a jet of white-hot flames from her enclosed fists. Alex came down on two of her targets' chests with breathtaking force, knocking each of them unconscious instantly.

As the last two soldiers moved, Alex jumped again, bending the air beneath her so that she sailed higher out of their reach, and created a fiery whip between her fingers. She lashed out, sending her elemental weapon across her target's boots, throwing them onto their backs. When Alex landed gracefully, she dissolved the whip, and willed the crumbled earth around her to congregate across her fists, creating a rock-hard gauntlet. Positioning herself between the last two soldiers, who were groaning loudly on the ground, she slammed her weight across their noses, wincing slightly when she felt the bones crack beneath her fingers.

Alex released her hold on the elements and straightened, still relishing in the flush of power that coursed through her blood. A deadly silence twisted over the room for exactly twenty-six seconds before the sealed door slid open, allowing her grandfather and his team to enter. She held her bated breath, trying to decipher the expressions on each of their faces.

Her father stayed in his place behind the Boss, not daring to make a move towards her until Joseph allowed it. His chocolate brown eyes twinkled, and Alex prayed that the others shared his approval of her performance.

When Joseph spoke, the tension within her chest immediately unraveled, "You have done well, my dear."

Alex bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming her excitement, and sprinted towards his open arms. Her grandfather squeezed her tightly against his chest, placing his cheek atop her thick black hair. "_Sono così orgoglioso di te_. I am so proud of you."

Joseph released her, and gestured towards his son, who was waiting patiently with a dazzling smile. Joey ruffled her hair fondly before embracing her as well. "You were magnificent today, Alexandria. I couldn't have wished for better results." When he stepped away, he cupped her cheek in endearment.

Alex grinned widely, allowing the elation of passing her final test fill her up. "You really think so?"

Luca, Marco, and Angelo all moved to congratulate her as well, kissing each of her cheeks and praising her excessively. "There was never a doubt in my mind that you would succeed, my dear." The Advisor praised.

The Underboss and Captain agreed, "Absolutely. You have always been the strongest among us."

She fought to keep her emotions under control. Her family, who had spent so much time and energy raising a daughter they never expected, shaping and molding her into the warrior she was today, were pleased with her performance. She had passed the last of her tests.

Alex nodded her thanks to each of them before turning to her father and grandfather. Their eyes danced with delight as they soaked her in. "Does this mean that I'm ready to receive my title, _capofamiglia_?"

Joseph shared a look with his son and gave a slight nod, allowing Joey to answer for them both. "That's exactly what it means, _mi figlia_." He looked over his shoulder towards the door and called out, "Bring it out!"

Her father met her gaze again, and she gave him a questioning look. "My dear, if you are going to take on the title of the family's protector, you need to look the part." Two soldiers appeared from the hallway carrying a silver case. They set it on the ground before their superiors, and backed away quickly.

Joey bent down and motioned for her to join him. He pointed towards the sleek black keypad, "Place your thumbprint there." She complied, and felt a jolt of adrenaline when the locks clicked open. Her father lifted the top, and Alex swallowed thickly as she peered at its contents.

A form-fitting catsuit coated in a metallic exterior and decorated with intricate black markings was displayed in front of her. Without thinking, she reached a shaky hand out to stroke it, "What is it?"

"Vibranium, my dear." Joey told her, obvious excitement lacing his deep voice. "The family has been trying to obtain enough material for your suit for ten years. We finally gathered all that we needed a few months ago, and Marco was able to find someone to create what we needed."

She looked up at her family with watery eyes, "T-thank you." The emotion caused her voice to crack, but she didn't care. Her family believed in her so much that there was never a doubt in their minds that she would pass her final round of tests today. They had been trying to make a suit for her ever since they saved her, knowing full well the kind of warrior that she would turn out to be.

"Don't cry, _mi figlia_. You have earned this title. We are so proud of you." Joey whispered quietly, wiping the escaped tears from her cheeks. He took her arms and pulled Alex up as he straightened. "The Genovese Family will be protected against all threats, now that we have _Shadowbreath _looking after us."

Alex cleared her throat and grinned up at the people who took her in, "I won't let you down. I promise."

A dangerous grin flashed across Joey's face, and Alex faltered for a moment. _Dangerous? Where did that thought come from?_

Before she could figure out what she could have been seeing, her grandfather placed his hands over her shoulders. "My dear, are you ready to receive your first mission?"

Alex blinked, more than a little surprised that they already had her first assignment in mind. She was apprehensive, sure, but she should have been expecting this. "Of course, _capofamiglia_."

"Wonderful. You will be joining us at the Commission meeting next weekend. The Genovese Family has a message we would like Shadowbreath's helpto deliver…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Peter's eyes flickered back to the clock hanging above Ms. Tidwell's head for the seventh time since class began. The pent up energy coursing within his body escaped through a series of obnoxious foot tapping and drumming fingers. He bit his bottom lip to try and calm himself down when Ms. Tidwell raised an annoyed eyebrow at him.

Ned leaned over from Peter's left, "Dude, why are you so twitchy?"

Peter held his hands together to keep them from shaking with excitement and whispered back, "This is my first weekend staying at the compound with Mr. Stark. Happy is picking me up from school today."

He heard Ned's breath hitch as he sucked in too much air, and a giggle escaped Peter's lips when he saw the saucers Ned's eyes resembled. "Dude, are you freaking serious? That's the coolest thing I've ever heard! I can't believe my best friend is an Avenger!"

Peter shushed the boy quickly, "Go ahead and announce it to the whole class why don't you?" Ned gave him an apologetic smile, "And I'm not an Avenger. Mr. Stark wants to train with me for a while."

"That's so, so cool! _The _Tony Stark wants to spend the weekend with you!" His best friend finished the sentence a little too loud, earning each of them a reprimand from their teacher.

"Sorry Ms. Tidwell, it won't happen again Ms. Tidwell." Both boys recited immediately.

Peter sneaked a peak at Ned, whose face was still lit up, and found his own excitement growing. He had barely been able to hold it together this week, and now that his last class was five minutes from letting out, Peter couldn't contain himself. May had helped him pack his bag for the entire weekend, as Mr. Stark assured her that Peter would have his own room to stay in, which was currently holed up in his locker. He tried calculating exactly how long it would take him to sprint out of class, grab his duffel bag and meet Happy outside, but someone interrupted his thoughts.

"Have somewhere to be, Penis Parker?" Flash quipped from two seats up. "I hope you're not still on about that whole Stark internship." He laughed cruelly, causing a few of their surrounding classmates to follow suit, "As if!"

Ned glanced nervously at Peter, who was silently trying to communicate to his best friend that he needed to keep his mouth shut about this. Flash was just a bully, there was no reason to flaunt the fact that he not only knew Tony Stark, but was going to be staying with him on the weekends. Thankfully, neither of them needed to come up with an excuse.

"Flash," Michelle interjected, sounding utterly bored with the whole situation, "Somewhere out there, a tree is working very hard to replace the oxygen you consume. Now go apologize to it."

The three boys blinked at her, before a shade of pink stretched across Flash's ears. "S-shut up Michelle! You're such a freak!"

She closed her book and turned slowly in her chair to face him. When Michelle had full view of Flash, she popped a brow; "I've been called worse things by better people." She stood up, causing Flash to flinch, the moment before the bell rang. Michelle's eyes flickered to Peter, and he tried to half-smile at her in thanks, knowing her expression wouldn't change. He was right of course, and she just picked up her books and filed out the door with the rest of the class.

Ned blew out a heavy breath and shook his head, "That girl scares the crap out of me."

Peter nodded his agreement. Michelle did scare him, but not because of the reasons Ned and Flash were afraid of her. She was absolutely brilliant, and had this incredible ability to not let anything or anyone get to her. He could never be sure of what she was thinking, and that's what was scary.

"Dude, are we getting out of here, or what?" Ned whined, standing by the door.

Peter hopped up, breaking out of his own head for a moment to remember that Happy was probably waiting for him. "Er, yeah of course! Let's go!" The two boys rushed out of the now empty classroom, heading straight for their lockers.

Ned gaped when Peter pulled out his duffel bag, "Dude, you have an overnight bag to bring to Mr. Stark's? So cool!"

He grinned at his best friend, throwing his books into the now-empty locker, "I know right? I can't wait! Apparently, I have my own room at the compound." As they pushed open the school doors and headed down the steps, Peter felt his spidey senses tingle for a second before he was thrown down onto the concrete. He hopped up immediately, trying to figure out how the heck that just happened.

Ned was scrambling to get up next to him while Flash stood at the top of the steps, cackling like a maniac with his friends. Apparently, the bully pushed Ned, who caught Peter on the way down. "That's what you get for letting your little girlfriend fight your battles, Penis Parker!"

A glimmer of annoyance settled within Peter, knowing full well that he should have been able to stop both Ned and himself from falling. Although, if he had, it probably would have looked suspicious considering the fact that Ned was twice his size.

Peter rolled his eyes, "Since when did you start resulting to physical violence, Flash? When MJ called you out for being a complete waste of oxygen?"

Ned grabbed onto his arm when pure animosity shone behind Flash's eyes, and whispered furiously as the bully made his way down the steps towards them. "_Peter_, you can't get into a fight here at school, you're _Spiderman_!"

Peter shrugged him off, not really caring about what a fight as Peter Parker meant. He was so _sick _of Flash picking on him and his friends, and besides, it wasn't as if the bully could actually _hurt_ him. Flash shoved Ned out of the way and gripped Peter by the collar, bringing him closer, "What did you just say to me, you piece of shit?"

Before Peter had the chance to fire back, a voice boomed behind him. "Take your hands off of the kid before you _lose_ them." Peter looked over his shoulder to see Happy, who had never looked more intimidating, stretched to his full height and sporting a sharp black suit with his sunglasses on and a cruel scowl stretched across his face. Peter blinked as he remembered that before Mr. Stark became Iron Man, Happy had been his personal bodyguard, and a professional boxer before that. He definitely looked the part now.

Flash must have realized that he really didn't want any trouble with this man, because he immediately released Peter from his grasp. Happy stopped his advance right behind Peter, towering over him more than Peter cared to admit. "Who the _fuck_ are you, and what do you think your doing grabbing the kid?"

Peter tried to bite his lip to stop the laugh that escaped when Flash's face paled considerably. The bully sputtered, "N-no one, s-sir. I was j-just leaving!" He turned on his heel and sprinted down the block with his friends, who kept looking back to catch a final glance at Happy.

"Yeah, he'd better run." Happy muttered under his breath before turning Peter around and checking him over. "You good, kid?"

Peter nodded, fidgeting to try and get the new wrinkles out of his button up shirt. "I'm fine, Happy. Thanks."

The now-driver studied him for a moment before nodding. He looked at Ned, whose face was lit up like he had just met Santa, "Are you okay? I saw the shit that kid pulled."

Ned nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! More than okay! Are you here to take Peter to Mr. Stark's?"

Happy raised his eyes at Ned, and looked to Peter as if asking "_you're going around telling people about this?_"

"Er, Ned's my best friend. I tell him everything." He tried explaining, which only earned him a happy yelp from his right.

Happy shrugged and gestured for Peter to get into the back of the Audi, "Let's get going, kid. Tony's waiting." The excitement that had been building up all week suddenly returned full force, and Peter buzzed with newfound energy. He quickly moved to do his and Ned's handshake before practically diving into the backseat.

Mr. Stark was waiting for him.

XX

"Alexandria, may I come in?" Her father asked with a slight knock on the door.

Alex rolled over to the right side of her bed to switch off the speaker and called out, "it's open!"

Joey stepped into the room, letting his eyes wander over the antiqued furniture, folded quilt, and finally settling on the new suit lying across her loveseat. "You cleaned your room, _mi figlia."_

She grinned and pushed off from her spot on the bed, "I needed something mindless to keep me busy before my first official mission."

Her father cupped her chin and ran his thumb along her jawline. "You are going to make us proud tonight."

Alex swallowed and tried to nod, "I'm going to try, Father."

Joey moved past her to sit on the edge of the bed and patted the spot beside him. When she obliged, he turned to look her in the eye. "I'm going to bring you to the training room for your briefing in a moment, but I wanted to speak with you first."

Alex furrowed her brow, but didn't break eye contact. Her father voice suddenly sounded far away as he continued, "Everything will change tonight. You are going to ensure that the other Families comply with our demands, whether they want to or not. You understand that this is necessary, don't you?"

She nodded slowly; automatically regurgitating the information the Family had been drilling into her head for ten years. "Yes, Father. The Genovese Family has been unmatched in size and power since the eighteen-sixties. It is time that we take our rightful place among the Commission."

Joey grinned, obviously pleased with her answer. "We have taught you well, _mi figlia_." His gaze suddenly turned serious, and Alex straightened her posture in turn. "I want you to remember one thing tonight, Alexandria. I am your father, and I know what's best for you _and_ what's best for the Family. If I tell you to do something tonight, that contradicts Luca's, Angelo's, or even your grandfather's orders; I need you to trust me. I want you to answer my call above all others. Can you do that, _mi figlia_?"

She didn't understand why something like this would ever come up, but Alex didn't dare question Joey when he was looking at her with such intensity. "Of course, Father. I will always trust you."

He was silent for a few moments, and Alex swore the tension surrounding them could have been cut with a butter knife. Suddenly, he grinned and kissed both of her cheeks, "I knew I could count on you." Joey pushed off of the bed and gestured her towards the door, "I'll show you to the briefing room." She took a deep breath to follow him, but as he reached for the doorknob, he paused and turned back towards her. "This conversation never happened, Alexandria. Do you understand me?"

Alex nodded, feeling an icy thread of doubt spread within her chest. "Yes, Father, I understand."

"_Excellent_."

XX

"Kid, come taste this sauce and tell me if it needs a little more garlic." Mr. Stark asked from his place in front of the stove. Peter complied immediately, abandoning the mixing bowl and sticking his finger into the saucepan. He tried to hide his grimace with a small smirk, "It's fine, Mr. Stark, but I think we might have missed a step."

The billionaire frowned and returned to the cookbook on the counter. "Let's see...garlic-check, salt-check, sugar-check, tomato-"

"Actually, I don't think we added any sugar. I don't remember putting it in there." Peter interrupted, searching the large kitchen counters for their missed ingredient. He found it next to the refrigerator, "Oh, here we go."

Mr. Stark muttered something to himself and took the measuring cup from him before pouring it slowly into the saucepan. He stirred it for a few minutes and tasted the spoon. Peter's lips upturned when he watched the billionaire's eyes light up. "Yup, that definitely tastes much better. Good job, kid."

Peter tried not to faint in elation from the compliment, instead opting to hop up onto the only clean portion of the countertop. The spacious kitchen resembled a war zone, and looking back on the evening, the description probably wasn't very far off. When Peter arrived at the Compound earlier that evening, Mr. Stark wanted to work in the lab for a bit. The pair worked for a few hours, with Peter soaking up every piece of information Mr. Stark was willing to impart on him like a sponge, before F.R.I.D.A.Y. reminded the billionaire that Peter hadn't eaten. He didn't mind of course, but apparently Mr. Stark regularly forgot how normal human beings lived their lives according to a schedule.

His mentor decided to forgo ordering a pizza in lieu of cooking an actual meal. The problem was that neither of them had any experience in the kitchen. The most complex dish Peter could make was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, while Mr. Stark still burned his macaroni and cheese from time to time. Apparently, that all was meant to change tonight. "Kid, if you're going to be staying here on the weekends, I think we should learn how to fend for ourselves. We can't always rely on Aunt May or Miss Potts to cook for us. Don't you agree?"

Peter chewed on the inside of his cheek, "But Mr. Stark, where are we supposed to start?"

The billionaire gave him a stern look before rummaging around in the pantry, "Kid, how many time have I told you today to call me Tony?" He pulled out what he was looking for, "Ah-ha! My mother's cookbook." Mr. Sta-_Tony_ flipped through it, "F.R.I.D.A.Y., what do we have lying around the kitchen?"

"Miss Potts had InstaCart delivered to the Compound yesterday. It seems as though you have all of the ingredients for Chicken Parmesan, sir."

"Then Chicken Parmesan it is, kid." He grinned happily, tossing the open book down onto the countertop. "Check over that list and help me gather all of the ingredients. You'll have to search through the cabinets and pantry, I honestly couldn't tell you where anything is."

They spent the next thirty minutes reading and re-reading the instructions, separating everything out until they were sure they were set. Peter was surprised at how normal this felt, just cooking dinner with Tony Stark, his hero and mentor. Neither one of them were particularly careful when it came to measuring, so they spilled quite a bit of flour onto the counters. That, of course, led to a mini food fight between the two, with only flour and sugar as their weapons. While they had changed their clothes, the kitchen still looked like a disaster.

"Mr. Star-" At the billionaire's glare, Peter corrected himself, "Er, Tony. I noticed you haven't gotten any calls tonight. I know you're usually really busy, is it just an off night?"

Tony shook his head, waving off the question. "Nah, I asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. to hold my calls on the weekends now, unless it's Pepper, of course. I spend enough time during the week dealing with Stark Industries."

Peter wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. He had his mentor all to himself...all weekend. A warm feeling blossomed in his chest, but Peter shoved it down, careful to not reveal all of the emotions he was feeling. "T-that's cool. How long does the chicken need to cook for?"

"Well, the book says to cook everything for about fifteen minutes, but my mom scribbled in a note in here to let it stay in the oven for twenty. And I'll always take her advice over some book." He winked before slipping the dish into the bottom rack of the oven. Tony's eyes wandered around the disheveled kitchen, "Geez, kid. Who knew cooking dinner could be so messy?"

Peter grinned and hopped off his spot atop the counter and wet a washcloth, "Yeah, but it shouldn't take too long to clean if we do it together."

"Clean? I'm not sure if that word is in my vocabulary." Tony asked, smirking.

He looked at the billionaire strangely, "Er, yeah, aren't we going to clean up our mess?"

Tony shrugged, "I was just going to have the staff do it. But who knows, maybe this is some kind of teaching moment that I almost missed out on." He started putting the caps back on the ingredients they had used.

Peter tossed the last dirty paper towel in the trash can just as the timer went off, and his stomach growled loudly in reply. Tony's lips upturned in amusement, "Hungry, or something, kid?"

He moved a hand behind his head in embarrassment, "Er, just a little. I have to eat a lot more than someone else my age to keep up with my metabolism."

Tony's brow furrowed as he pulled the Chicken Parmesan out of the oven and placed it on the stovetop. "What happens if you skip a meal, or something like that?"

Peter folded his arms and thought for a moment, "Nothing crazy, I just get a little dizzy, and my head will start to hurt. It's like when a diabetic has low blood sugar."

As Tony pulled out two plates for them, he gestured for Peter to grab the silverware from the drawer he was leaning against. "That's good to know. Especially if I'm responsible for keeping you alive on the weekends."

Peter's cheeks heated, "I'm sixteen, Mr. Stark, not five. I can take care of myself."

His mentor cut into the dish and placed a large chicken breast on one plate, and two on Peter's, "It's _Tony_. And exactly, you're sixteen years old. A teenager." Tony handed him his food, and Peter followed him over to the living room couch. "An adult is supposed to take care of you."

Before Tony could reach for the remote, Peter floundered over his quickly growing curiosity, set his utensils down on the coffee table and turned to completely face the billionaire. "Is that why you're letting me come here, Mr. Stark? Because you think someone should be taking care of me? I know May works double shifts on the weekends, but I'm fine by myself. "

He flinched at the question, obviously not expecting for a sixteen year old to call him out. Tony's gaze met Peter's, and he knew that the billionaire was trying to decide if he wanted to answer honestly or play it off as a joke. "Please, Mr. Sta-_Tony_. I'd really like to know why you would want me here."

His mentor nodded slowly, and took a long sip of his water before answering. "Alright, kid, here it goes." Tony met his eyes, an intensity behind them that Peter had only seen a few times before. "You remind me of myself in a lot of ways. Smarter than everyone else in the room, taking on more than you need to just to prove something to someone. Anyone. But you're better than I ever was. My father wasn't exactly the best role model. He never told me he loved me, never even told me he liked me. I spent my entire childhood trying to prove something to a man who would never give me the love I craved so much." Peter's throat constricted as Tony talked, but he didn't dare interrupt the man. "You're such a good kid, Pete. The best. I don't want you to grow up to be like me, I want you to be better. You already are. I want…"

His gaze met Peter's again, and his eyes were bright in the light's reflection. "I don't want you to think that you need to earn my respect, or affection. I'm already so proud of you. I just want to spend my time with an extraordinary kid, and do everything in my power to keep you safe." Tony smirked and shook his head. "And Pepper, god knows I love that woman. She's the one who suggested this arrangement, you know? Heard me going off about Germany, and how well you did with the Vulture. She thinks you're a good influence on me. I don't think she's wrong."

Peter stared back at his mentor with an unrecognizable emotion dancing within his chest. He couldn't…he needed to try and explain how much this meant to him. That Iron Man was proud of him, that he wanted to keep a kid from Queens safe and happy.

"Mr. S-Tony…I don't even know what to say. I really don't. No one…I just-thank you, for everything. You've been my hero for the better part of ten years. I used to dress up as Iron Man whenever I got the chance. And then you brought back the Stark Expo, the one where that lunatic tried to kill everyone. I thought since, you know, I was wearing the mask, that I could help save the day, like you. You saved me when I tried to take one on myself. When that spider bit me, and I found out I had these powers, I finally got my chance to be the hero. I became Spider-Man because of you, Mr. Stark. Tony."

Tony froze again, "Hold on, pause. Are you telling me that you're the kid that tried to stand up to the Hammer drone?" Peter could see that his mentor's mind was running wild, so he nodded silently, trying to give him some time to process.

"I...I'm going to put a pin in that for now." He finally breathed out and turned back to his dinner. "I'm…I'm glad you're here, Peter. You're a great kid. We're in this together now, right?." He took a large bite and spoke with his mouth full, "Now that we're past all of the mushy stuff, pick a movie. F.R.I.D.A.Y. will put on whatever you want to watch."

Peter blinked and continued staring at his mentor. The man had never been so real with him before, except when he was reprimanding him a few months ago, so this was a first. He felt…warm. Appreciated. Looked after. Iron Man would keep him safe. They were in this together.

"Kid?"

Peter hummed in acknowledgement.

"Pick a movie." Tony said again with his mouth full, earning a small laugh from Peter before he complied.


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: **Happy Friday

**Chapter 5**

The SUV pulled to a stop in front of _Elite_, a run down tailor shop in the heart of Brooklyn, at five till midnight. Alex fidgeted with her mask, ensuring that it wouldn't fall off in the middle of the inevitable fight. The suit fit surprisingly well, with the material neatly fitting every curve of her body while still being breathable and comfortable. The upper body was coated in vibranium, with intricate black tendrils stitched into the fabric. Alex's pants were solid black except for the thin metallic designs. Her only accessories were a pair of graphite grey combat boots with a thin bottom and her black mask. Angelo had stressed the importance of keeping her identity a secret during her briefing.

"Are you ready, _mi figlia_?" Her father asked from the seat to her left. Angelo sat in the passenger seat, and Marco and Luca in the far back row while she, her grandfather, and her father occupied the row of seats in the middle.

Alex swallowed thickly and nodded, not trusting her voice to sound confident and prepared, as they wanted her to be. She would do _anything_ for the Genovese family, and that included ending the lives of those who were considered a threat, but it wasn't something she was comfortable with. The family knew that, of course, and respected her feelings on the matter. At least, they did most of the time. When they didn't need her abilities.

After seeing both of her parents killed in front of her ten years ago, Every time she cut off someone's life with a flick of her wrist, it brought the nightmares rushing back full force. She had a nasty feeling that after tonight, sleep would elude her like the plague. However, if any of her new family gave the order, Alex couldn't hesitate.

Joseph's grin seemed to darken the air around them, "Excellent." He turned towards his son, Underboss, Captain, and Advisor. "Tonight we take back the position that is rightfully ours. The Genovese Family will no longer be just another part of the Commission. Our very own _Shadowbreath_ will ensure that the other families recognize our change to the hierarchy." Her grandfather's cruel laugh seemed to reverberate within the confines of the SUV, and Alex could feel the hairs on her covered arms stand straight up.

Amros opened the car door, first letting out Joseph, followed by the rest of the team. The men around her straightened their fancy black suits before making their way inside, forming a protective circle around Alex as to shield her from wandering eyes.

The older gentleman behind the old red oak counter bowed in respect, and reached underneath the ancient cash register to push a button. A click sounded towards the back of the small store, and a hidden door slid open. The tailor still had yet to notice Alex, and escorted them towards the back room. They were met with a thick cloud of smoke, and Alex could practically taste the tension buzzing between the walls. Joseph sauntered through the door with his family behind him, and greeted the eight dangerous men already seated at the large poker table.

From what Marco had explained to her, each Boss was only allowed to bring their respective Underboss to the sparse Commission meetings; so to say that the other Families greeted Joseph with nothing short of pure contempt was an understatement. They were on their feet in an instant, reaching for the guns stuffed into the waistband of their pants. One man was so surprised that he dropped the thick cigar that had been resting between his teeth. "What is the meaning of this, Joseph?" He didn't seem to try to hide the bitterness lacing his voice.

Her grandfather simply smiled, opening his arms wide. "Brothers, put down your weapons. This does not have to end in a fight."

"What are you on about?" One of the Underboss' spat, tightening his hold on the gun. Alex's eyes narrowed, and she did a quick inventory of all of the weapons that were pointed at her family. Eight potential enemies, twelve weapons, not counting the Genovese family. Piece of cake.

Joseph frowned, as if severely disappointed that the other Bosses refused to settle down. "I'm disbanding the Commission, gentleman. From now on, each of you will report to the Genovese Family directly. The title of _capo di tutti capi_ has returned."

The four bosses snorted, and one raised his weapon at her grandfather's eyes. "Don't be daft, Joseph. You can't possibly believe that you will walk out of this alive. Remember what we did to the last man who tried to replace the Commission?"

Joseph shrugged, not bothered even in the slightest. "Yes, but I have something that he didn't. Something that will persuade each of you to change your minds regarding my promotion...or else." Without looking away from the other bosses, he gestured towards Alex, who pushed past the men surrounding her and took her place beside Joseph.

All eight men studied her with wary eyes, "Who is this?"

"She's the one who is going to punish you all for not dropping your weapons when I instructed you to the first time." Her grandfather's lips upturned, and Alex took that as the signal.

She immediately took hold of the powerful pull in her gut, and brought her arms upwards, willing the earth to obey her. In a matter of seconds, solid rock jetted from the now cracked open tile floors and surrounded the Genovese family, protecting them from the rain of bullets coming down. Alex leaped into the air, bending the wind around her to push up higher so that she landed on top of the wall. She tightened her fists, and jets of flames erupted around them.

Alex flipped downwards, expertly crashing into two of her targets, causing them to drop their weapons. She spun around for a roundhouse kick, nailing another in the temple and knocking him unconscious. Alex felt for the familiar pull that now rested within her bloodstream, and held a hand out towards the dripping faucet on the other side of the room. The next second, a mountain of water erupted around them. She took a deep breath in, and a column of flames escaped from her throat. The fire entangled itself around the pillar of water, before dancing around and crashing into the remaining men, half of who were still shooting at her while the other half were trying to escape through the hidden door.

Thanks to the Vibranium suit, any bullets that did make it through the chaos simply bounced right off. She stomped her foot onto the newly unearthed ground, and rock-solid posts covered every possible exit. Alex flicked her wrist, and the posts crumbled before taking the new shape of daggers. She sent them forward, and forced herself to keep from wincing when they implanted themselves into four of the men's shoulders.

Strangled screams burst from around her, and Alex scanned the chaotic room to make sure she hadn't missed anyone. Each of the Underbosses were either unconscious, writhing on the ground, or gurgling boiling water or tending to their third-degree burns, and the four Bosses were pinned to the walls, heads thrown back in agony. She took a deep breath, and released her hold on the wall of earth surrounding her family.

Alex met her grandfather's wide eyes for a brief moment before ducking her head and moving to the side. He stepped forward slowly and started laughing, the barbarous sound reverberating throughout the room. "Brothers, does anyone else wish to argue with the change to the hierarchy?"

The moans coming from the injured men quieted down, no one wishing to chance that their cries of pain could be mistaken for disagreement. Joseph reached for an untouched whiskey glass sitting on the countertop and took a long sip. "I will allow you all to keep your lives. Return home, and communicate to your respective families that I, Joseph "The Lemon" Genovese have undertaken the title of _capo di tutti capi_."

Small whispers could be heard from around the room, and Alex reached a hand out to release her hold on the earth daggers barbed into their flesh. Before she could, Joey moved to stand in front of her. "On the contrary, Father, I'm afraid there's been a change in plans."

The temperature surrounding them seemed to drop five degrees, and every member of the Genovese family froze. What was her father doing? This was not part of the plan. Joseph slowly turned on his heel, his piercing gaze locking onto his son's. "Excuse me, boy?" His voice shook with barely controlled rage. Alex's eyes flickered to her father's; silently begging him not to ask what she feared he would.

Joey straightened and dusted off the sleeves of his coat. "Your time as _capofamiglia_ has come to an end, Father. I am the one who has allowed the Genovese Family to evolve, and I'll be the one assuming the mantle of _capo di tutti capi_."

Joseph snorted, and Alex thought that if he could, her grandfather would have had smoke barreling out of his nostrils. He advanced on his son, taking two large steps in his direction before Alex's protective instincts kicked in, and intercepted him. Her grandfather's eyes widened at the obvious display of loyalty, "You would choose him over me, _Shadowbreath_?"

Alex swallowed thickly, trying to contain the impending heartbreak vibrating within her chest. "_Please_, grandfather," She whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. She didn't want to do this. "Step aside."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. His scowl deepened, and he tried to push past her to get to Joey. "You will become _capo di tutti capi_ over my dead body, boy!" His large meaty hands moved to reach for his son's throat.

"That can be arranged, Father," was Joey's simple reply, and Alex recognized the command in his voice. She twisted around quickly so that she was between the two feuding men again, and called the closest dagger of earth protruding from a man's shoulder into her hands. In the blink of an eye, Alex jammed the piercing tip into her grandfather's heart, her quivering gaze suddenly filled with unshed tears never leaving his.

"I'm so sorry, grandfather." She whispered, the dam breaking and silent streaks running down her face as she watched the light behind his dark eyes grow dimmer. He raised a large hand to cup her cheek, and she flinched at the contact.

Joseph "The Lemon" Genovese choked out his last word with blood spattering from his caked lips, and Alex felt her chest burst open at the seams.

"_Alexandria_…"

And then he was gone.

XX

"Boss, you have an incoming call from Miss Potts. Shall I accept?" F.R.I.D.A.Y.S.' voice caused Tony to start, nearly falling off from his spot on the couch. He blinked in bewilderment, trying to assess where he was. At the sight of Peter draped across the loveseat with a trickle of drool hanging off the corner of his lips, Tony figured that they must have fallen asleep during the movie. Damn, the kid was adorable even when he wasn't buzzing with untold amounts of energy.

He tried whispering as to not wake up Peter, "You can accept her call, I'll take it in my room." Tony padded over to his door and gently closed it behind him. "Hey Pep, what's up?"

"Tony, why haven't you been answering your phone?" Her disembodied voice sounded distressed, and he furrowed his brow. Tony checked the clock beside his bed, two-thirty in the morning. What could he have possibly missed in the past few hours?

"I asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. to hold all of my calls while I'm with Peter. I told you that, didn't I?" He asked, hoping that she wasn't too angry with him.

She snapped, "No, you conveniently left that little piece of information out." Yup, she was angry. "Chief Jones has been trying to call you for the past two hours."

"Really? I'm just going to assume that it wasn't anything important. Did I tell you that I actually cooked something tonight? The kid and I absolutely killed Chicken Parmesan. I don't know why people think it's so difficult-"

"Tony!" Pepper interrupted his display of word vomit, "Now is not the time for your cavalier attitude. Remember how the NYPD planted a security camera in the back room of _Elite_?"

"Yes…" He muttered, feeling properly scolded with a sudden curiosity peak, "They were supposed to get footage of the Commission meeting. It was meant to be evidence they needed to start moving against the known Mafia families. Why? Did they screw it up? You just can't find good help these days-"

Pepper did not seem to be in the mood for his jokes tonight. "TONY!"

He held up his hands in self-defense, although she couldn't really see him. "Fine, fine, what's the deal?"

She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself. "I just sent you the video from tonight. You need to see this. Jones has already put in a call to Fury, he's on his way."

Tony's head snapped up at that, and he immediately reached for the phone in his pocket. He tapped the screen forward, lighting up a fourteen by sixteen inch hologram in front of him. He watched the scene begin with a tilt of his head. Eight men were sitting at a large poker table with whiskey glasses and cigar smoke swirling around them. They seemed to be waiting on one last family considering the two empty chairs.

The hidden door slid open, and a group of six people stepped out of the haze of smoke. That was weird, why did this Boss have so many people with him? And was that a woman in a catsuit?

The NYPD apparently had forgotten to put an audio feed with the camera, because no sound was attached to the video. Somehow, that only made the next few minutes even more chilling.

The newcomer stepped forward, apparently trying to reason with the eight men who had their weapons trained on him. Tony wished the department hadn't been so incredibly inadequate; he really wanted to know what this guy was saying. He almost missed the small gesture the Boss made with his right hand, calling forward the girl in the metallic suit. Her thin face was covered with a black mask, and her long black hair fell straight past her shoulders.

That was new. Was that fucking _Vibrani_\- ?

Before he could finish his last thought, the world seemed to erupt within the dimensions of the screen. The girl raised her arms, and a column of rock bent to her will, surrounding the men she came with. What the _actual_ _fuck_ was that? Tony stepped closer, his eyes scanning the video to make sure he didn't miss anything. She jumped higher than a normal human should be able to, although he assumed that she was demonstrating her mastery over air, considering that she bent water and fire around her next. Wait, fire actually came from her _fucking mouth!_

Tony's mouth dried, and he found himself watching the super scary demon girl's movements with rapt attention. The video was nothing short of terrifying, and she seemed to have control over everyone and everything in the room. From what he could tell, no one was actually dead, though he guessed most of them probably wished that they were.

When everyone around her was incapacitated, she let down the protective wall, allowing the remaining men walk towards her. Something must have happened, because everyone in that room flinched. The Boss turned around slowly, and started walking towards one of the standing men with a dangerous look on his face. That was obviously a no-no, because the super scary demon girl planted herself between the two.

When the Boss failed to stop his advances towards the younger man, one of the daggers sticking out of someone's chest flew to her hand, and she impaled it into his heart. Tony's eyebrows soared. He was not expecting _that_.

Tony moved a finger to drag the cursor on the holographic screen back to the beginning. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., put in a call to Rhodey and Agent Romanoff. They need to get back to the compound, _now_."

Pepper's voice surprised him; he almost forgot that she was still on the line. "What do you think, Tony?"

He sighed as he watched the video again, never taking his eyes off of the girl in the suit. "I think one of the Families found an Enhanced to work for them. They must have been attempting some kind of power play, but something went wrong."

"Have you seen anything like her before?" Pepper asked, "Wanda can move things like that, can't she?"

He shook his head before remembering that they weren't on a video chat. "No, her powers are related to something called chaos magic. In a nutshell, she got her powers from the same structural integrity that makes up the Mind Stone, which Vision's got glued to his head. Whoever this girl is, she seems to be controlling those elements differently."

"Tony, is everything okay?" Peter's sleepy voice caused him to jump, and he immediately waved a hand through the holographic video.

"Er, yeah, kid. Sorry if I woke you. I didn't mean to let you fall asleep on the couch, I'll show you where your room is." Tony sputtered and raised his chin up. "Pep, I'll call you later."

Tony could practically see the fake smile plastered across his girlfriend's face, "Bye, Tony. Goodnight, Peter."

The kid gave him a confused grin before looking up at the ceiling. "Er, goodnight, Miss Potts." Tony ended the call from his phone as Pepper tried correcting Peter into using her first name. He stepped forward to usher him out of the room, but Peter tried peering around him. "What was that video?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it, kid." Tony pushed past him and led him down the hall to a closed door. "There you go, you've got your own room and everything." Peter grabbed his duffel bag from the living room and his eyes widened as they stepped inside.

"Wow this is bigger than my entire apartment. Thank you so much, Tony!" Peter gushed, moving to bounce atop the king sized bed.

Tony half-smiled, trying to keep the growing anxiety from building up within his chest. "Glad you like it, kid. Now get some sleep. We'll be doing some training tomorrow, and you might even get to see Rhodey and Natasha."

Peter stilled his movements, and a huge, nervous grin stretched across his face, "They're coming here? I thought they were on mission?" His brow furrowed, "Wait, does this have anything to do with that video you didn't want me to watch?"

The billionaire cursed inwardly, "How much of that did you see, kid?"

He shrugged lazily, "Not much, just a whole bunch of movement on the screen. I didn't see any details."

Tony let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Don't worry about it. It's Avengers business."

Peter stood up, "But aren't I an Avenger-in-training? I can help!" Tony gave the kid's shoulders a light push, so that Peter would return to his spot on the bed.

"You haven't had any actual training, so technically you're not even at _that_ level yet. If something comes up that you need to know, then I'll tell you about it. Until then, let us handle it." He moved back towards the door and shut off the light, "Get some sleep kiddo, I'll see you in the morning."

"But-" Tony closed the door before Peter could protest, and returned to his own room. He rubbed his eyes, glad that he had gotten a few hours of sleep in before Pepper called. Fury would no doubt be waltzing through the Compound doors as soon as daybreak hit, so Tony needed to become an expert on this mystery super scary demon girl over the next few hours.

It was going to be a long night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: Happy Monday! I hope you are all enjoying this story so far, I'd really love to hear what you think. XO**

**Chapter 6**

Alex collapsed at the foot of her bed, sinking down to the floor and clutching her knees. Sobs erupted from her throat, causing her entire body to shake violently. She didn't bother trying to justify what she did to calm herself down. She deserved _every _ounce of pain and heartbreak she was feeling right now.

She had killed her _grandfather_. A man who loved her, and who had looked after her for ten years. Alex clenched her unsteady right fist together, holding on to the last splatter of blood that stained her skin. She hiccupped, as her guttural cries slowly grew softer as an hour passed, but made no move to stir from her position.

A knock sounded at the door, and she ignored it. She didn't want to see anyone right now, and the thought of someone recognizing the monster she had become caused another round of fitful cries to escape her lips. Whoever it was didn't seem to want to respect her privacy, because a key unlocked the door and someone sauntered in. Alex refused to look up, instead burying her face between her knees again.

A weight settled on the bed behind her, and her father's voice filled the terse air. "Alexandria, look at me."

Damnit. That was a direct order, and she knew it. He was so very careful in the way he addressed her now. She wanted to hate the man _so much_. The agony and frustration bubbled beneath her skin. How could he ask her to kill her own _grandfather_? His own _father_? The Boss of the Genovese Family. How could he make her do something so heart wrenchingly evil?

Alex sniffed loudly and tried to dry her tears on the fabric of her suit. She slowly turned and raised her gaze to meet his, trying to communicate all of the emotions raging through her system right now. He didn't so much as flinch, and instead patted the space next to him. Alex turned her head slightly to the side, silently telling him to_ go to hell_.

Joey scowled, "Alexandria, sit down and let me explain."

_Fuck_. She reluctantly moved to the bed, choosing to sit as far away from him as she could while still obeying. Her father sighed dramatically, "I know you don't understand what happened tonight. I know you must hate me right now." He studied her face, and the pinched look she must have given him proved his line of thinking was correct.

"I need you to know that we did the right thing. We couldn't let my father become _capo di tutti capi, _it would have been detrimental to our family." She scoffed at his use of the word "we," but he ignored her and continued. "Alexandria, he was going to _use_ you."

His words finally got a reaction out of her, and she raised her eyes to meet his. "Once the title was official, he was going to use you to hurt the rest of the family. My father was power hungry, you must have seen the signs." Alex chewed on the inside of her cheek and tilted her chin downward, silently agreeing with him. "He needed to step down before he killed us all. And if you remember, he tried to kill me." She flinched. "You protected me, Alexandria. When I tried to keep the family together, he went after me. And you saved me. You saved us all."

A few moments of silence passed as Alex tried to gather her thoughts. Her grandfather was a bad man, she knew that. She knew what the Genovese Family, and the others, did was wrong. She wasn't stupid or naive. But they took her in, treated her as their own. She owed them her life. And that meant unwavering loyalty.

But the idea that Joseph would turn against his own family? It felt wrong, but her father had never given her any reason not to trust him. And hadn't he asked her to do just that before the mission? Oh god, did he know what was going to happen? That she would have to do this?

"D-did you know?" She whispered.

He tilted his head, as if deliberating on his answer. "I suspected. I knew that I couldn't allow him to take on the title, but I wasn't sure of what his reaction would be."

Joey reached out to push a lock of hair behind her ear, "I wish it didn't have to be like this, _mi figlia_. I loved my Father, but he needed to be handled so that someone who truly has the Family's best interests at heart could take over."

"Someone like you?" The question reverberated across the room, and she was suddenly terrified that she stepped over the line. She never liked the punishments that were dealt out when she stepped over the line.

He surprised her by sighing sadly and letting his hand fall. "Yes, Alexandria. Someone like me." Joey pushed off from the bed, and dropped a light kiss on her forehead. "Get some sleep, _mi figlia_. I'll allow you a day of rest before you are to return to your studies. You will also need to be prepared for another mission soon"

She heard the click of the door as it closed behind him, and Alex moved automatically towards the bathroom. She grabbed a change of clothes from her dresser, depositing them on the closed toilet seat, and gripped the edges of the countertop in front of her vanity. Alex stared at the stranger in her reflection, examining the bloodshot eyes and tight cheekbones.

Was she a monster for killing her grandfather? Was what Joey said true? That the man was going to use her against the rest of the family? She never wanted to hurt anyone, but if someone was a threat to those she loved, she wouldn't hesitate. Tonight was proof of that.

Had she done the right thing? Had her actions really saved her Father? And the integrity of the family?

Alex peeled off the suit and stepped into the shower, more confused than ever.

XX

Peter was awoken by familiar voices coming from down the hall.

"Alright, I'm here, Stark. What the hell was so important that I had to catch the red-eye back to New York?" Natasha Romanoff sounded more than a little annoyed, and Peter decided that he was perfectly fine with listening from afar.

"Keep your voice down, the kid is still asleep." Tony responded with a hushed whisper. Peter groaned inwardly and tiptoed towards the edge of the closed door. With his enhanced senses, he could barely make out the conversation.

Colonel Rhodes had apparently joined the mix. "Yeah, about that. Since when did we start letting children join the Avengers, Tony? He's not even old enough to know how to use a rotary phone."

Ouch. He could too use a rotary phone; there was a vine about it. "He's not joining the Avengers, Rhodey. So I like having the kid around, sue me." Peter's lips upturned at Tony's comment. Iron Man liked having him around.

"Can we stay on topic?" Black Widow interjected. "I left an extraction for this."

Tony grumbled something incomprehensible, and from the sound of it, someone new stepped off the elevator into the suite. "Stark. I hope you've seen the footage."

"Welcome to the party, Fury. Please, make yourself at home, kick off your shoes, toss your eyepatch over your shoulder, whatever makes you comfortable." Tony jested, and Peter's breath caught.

Holy shit, _Nick Fury_ was standing just outside his door. Something huge must have gone down.

The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't seem amused. "I'm glad you seem so flippant about this, Stark, considering we have a dangerous Enhanced individual running around New York working for the Mafia."

Tony groaned loudly, "F.R.I.D.A.Y., let me know when the kid wakes up, an elephant couldn't have slept through Fury's little announcement."

"Mr. Parker has been awake for several minutes now, boss. He is currently listening behind his bedroom door." Shoot, that little tattletale! He was going to have to find a way to reprogram her or something.

Colonel Rhodes snickered loudly, and Tony grumbled, "Kid, get out here. You've been caught red-handed."

Peter grimaced and pushed open the door, trying not to fret as the adults waited for him. Black Widow was dressed in black jeans and a dark blue navy hoodie; Peter figured she must have changed into something more comfortable on the plane ride here. Colonel Rhodes looked like he was wearing some sort of under-armor, which would make sense if he had worn his War Machine, or he remembered it was Iron Patriot now-but he liked War Machine better, suit recently. While Peter hadn't officially met the two Avengers, he at least recognized them from their fight in Germany. Nick Fury, on the other hand, was completely new to him.

"Er, good morning. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Peter said sheepishly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Tony gave him look that said, _sure you didn't_ and walked over to place arm around his shoulders almost protectively, though Peter wasn't sure why he would need any sort of protection from the Avengers. "This is Peter Parker. Also known as Spider-Man."

A flicker of recognition flashed behind War Machine's eyes, and he immediately stuck out his hand. "James Rhodes, nice to officially meet you, Peter. You can call me Rhodey."

Natasha shook his hand next, her sharp green eyes studying him as if calculating all of the different ways she could kill him, "I'm Natasha." Okay, maybe she was was. Peter leaned into Tony's side just a bit more.

Nick Fury just nodded his head, staying where he was and observing Peter with his one good eye. Where was he supposed to look? He vaguely remembered Tony telling him pirates always preferred for you to focus on the eye patch, but Peter figured the billionaire might have been screwing with him for this exact moment. "I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Parker."

"It's just Peter." He replied, and immediately felt his cheeks flush. He had just corrected the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He coughed awkwardly, hoping to move on quickly. "So, there's an Enhanced working for the mob?"

Tony shook his head, "Nothing for you to worry about, kid. We are going to handle it."

"Handle it how?" Peter asked with a furrowed brow. "Whoever it is must be pretty dangerous if you called them in."

Fury leaned against the breakfast counter, "We need to gather more information first. What have you learned about her, Stark?"

Tony looked back and forth between Fury and Peter, trying to decide how much he wanted to spill. Finally, he sighed with resolve. "Not much. After analyzing the video, she seems to be able to bend certain elements to her will. There haven't been any reports or sightings of her until now, and since we couldn't get a good look at her face, and the security footage didn't contain audio, I wasn't able to track her through any sort of recognition software."

"So, we basically know next to nothing." Rhodes summed up. "I need to see the video."

"Me too." Natasha added, and Peter looked up to Tony hopefully.

Unfortunately, the billionaire shook his head. "Sorry kid, I've got other plans for you." He turned towards the newcomers; "I'm going to train with the kid today. Just ask F.R.I.D.A.Y. to play the security footage for you on the T.V. in the living room."

Rhodes raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "You're going to be gone the entire day? We just got here."

"What, did you miss me?" Tony flashed his best friend a smirk. "You don't need me until tonight. I'm sure you'll have a plan to find the mystery girl sorted out by the squirt's bedtime."

Peter groaned, "Are you sure I can't watch the video? I can help!"

Tony looked offended, "Are you saying you don't want to train with Iron Man today?"

Peter's eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly, "N-no! That's not what I meant!"

"Then go get changed. Wear something you won't mind getting dirty."

He shot one last nervous glance to the other three adults before sprinting back into his room and slamming the door. Peter practically ripped off of his pajamas and threw on some training gear. He grabbed the bag containing his suit, and almost ran into Nick Fury as he barreled out of the room.

"Mr. Parker." The man greeted ominously, his one good eye following Peter as he spun around him.

"Er…" Peter wasn't exactly sure how to respond. Thankfully, Tony coughed loudly to grab his attention, and Peter rushed over to the elevator.

"We'll get some breakfast in the kitchen downstairs." He explained, chuckling at the awkward scene he had just witnessed between Peter and Fury. The man made everyone uncomfortable, so it would be humorous to see how Peter handled the intensity. "Ready, kid?" He asked with a smirk. Peter was practically buzzing with pent up energy.

He just grinned up at the billionaire, "You have no idea, Mr. Stark!"

"It's Tony, kid."

"Okay, Tony."

XX

Alex was in the middle of a calculus test when she felt Marco's presence in the doorway. Her tutor looked up from the book he was reading, "Can I help you?"

Her father's Advisor strode into the room, moving to stand in front of Alex. "My dear, your father requests your presence immediately. He is in his office."

She rolled her eyes, "Can you tell him I'm in the middle of an exam, Marco?" She gestured to the packet in front of her, "I'm stuck on derivatives."

Marco frowned, "I'm sorry, Alexandria. It seems as though you need to be briefed on your next assignment."

Alex flinched and tried not to relive the outcome of her first mission only five nights ago. She stood up quickly, handing her paper to the tutor. "I'll finish the exam tomorrow. Although, I'm probably going to fail regardless, so you might as well just grade it now." She moved towards the door, Marco on her heels.

"Are you struggling to keep up with your classes, Alexandria?" He asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

She looked back over her shoulder, "Only in math. My other subjects are fine."

Her father's Advisor responded with a discontented hum, and led her towards Joey's office. Alex nodded to Marco and the large soldier, who moved out of her way immediately, before knocking on the door.

Alex entered and cupped her hands behind her back. Her chin dipped slightly, and she made sure her gaze found itself below his eye level. "You asked to see me, father."

Joey rose from his chair with a large grin on his face, "_Mi figlia_, thank you for coming. Come, sit." He gestured to one of the seats in front of the large mahogany desk, and she complied. "I have a job for you." Angelo appeared from the doorway to take the seat next to her.

"Ah, here we go. Angelo is leaving tonight to obtain an asset for me. I would like for you to go with him."

She raised at eyebrow at both men. "What kind of asset?"

Thankfully, Joey didn't seem put out by her interest. In fact, he seemed rather excited about it. "Now that I've taken over the title of _capo di tutti capi_, I intend to make some changes to the types of businesses the Families are involved in." He leaned back into his leather chair, lacing his slender fingers together. "Over the past eight years, a man named Adrian Toomes led the manufacturing and selling of alien weapons. He was able to do so under the radar, and didn't catch the eye of the Avengers until recently."

Alex blinked. Would she have to kill this Adrian Toomes guy next? That would make her count double digits. Something she was hoping she could avoid at all costs. "He was apprehended two months ago, thanks to the masked vigilante known as Spider-Man. Marco has so graciously tracked down the brains behind their operation, Phineas Mason. I would like for you to accompany Angelo tonight to bring the Tinkerer back here."

She let out a grateful sigh. No killing anyone tonight. "That's all? Bring this guy back here?"

Joey gave her a small smile, "That's all,_ mi figlia_. I would never ask you to take a life without good reason. You believe that, don't you?"

Alex smiled back, beyond thankful for her father's display of affection. He really did care about what she wanted, despite the incident with her grandfather. How could she have doubted him? "Of course, _capo di tutti capi._ I will make you proud."

XX

Amros opened the car door, allowing Alex to step out of the SUV behind Angelo. She surveyed the run down building, wondering how many people were crammed into it.

Angelo turned to face her, "According to Marco's intel, our target resides on the third floor." He spent a few moments loading his favorite weapon, a Glock 27.

She nodded, starting towards the door. They made their way up the nauseating stairwell, careful to keep their hands to themselves. "This place is disgusting," Alex observed.

"Tell me about it. Remind me to get some hand sanitizer once we get back to the car."

Thankfully, they didn't pass anyone on the way to three-B. Alex was wearing her suit again, which probably would have drawn some attention. Before Angelo made his move, she held up a hand to stop him. "Hold on, let me make sure that we won't be interrupted."

She felt the pulses of the earth's atomic structure beneath the thin barrier of her boot, and twisted the pull in her gut. An unnoticeable rumbling was the only indication that something was amiss. She maneuvered the small patches of earth from the construction site outside, calling them forward and separated them onto the first three floors. With a tightening of her fist, a thin latch embedded itself into the outside locks of the doors around and below her. Alex breathed out, still relishing in the small trickle of power within her bloodstream.

"Okay, now we're good."

Angelo readied his weapon and lined up to the door, nodding to Alex one last time before jamming his foot right below the knob, sending it wide open. They both rushed inside, advancing on the erratic movement to their left.

A chubby man with thick goggles poised over his eyes sat crouched in the corner of the battered apartment, "P-please! Don't hurt me!" He waved a wrench and a small, lit torch in their direction. "I-I'm not afraid to use this!"

Angelo raised an eyebrow and looked at Alex, who sucked in a small breath of air and blew it towards the flame, which instantly died. The Tinkerer looked between the tool and the intruders with a confused look on his face, trying to figure out how she did that from five feet away.

"Phineas Mason?" Angelo asked gruffly. The chubby man nodded jerkily. "I'm going to need you to come with us."

"W-who are you?" Phineas asked, still holding up his poor excuse for weapons.

Angelo lowered his gun and straightened his suit, attempting to give the poor man a sense of security. "That's not important right now. We've been sent to offer you a job. It's come to our attention that your last employer is currently sitting in a jail cell."

The man looked completely thrown off, and he pushed himself off of the ground shakily. "You want me to work for you?"

Alex shook her head, "Not for us. For our Boss."

"And if I say no?"

Well, that wasn't going to happen. She narrowed her eyes, willing a flash of white-hot flames to erupt within the palm of her hand. "I don't think that would be a wise decision."

Alex caught Angelo smirking out of the corner of her eye. Cheeky bastard. "So, what do you say, Phineas? Do you want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

The man's terrified gaze flickered between Angelo, Alex, and the fire steadily growing larger. He seemed to make his decision fairly quickly. "Easy way. Definitely the easy way."

Alex's lips twitched upwards, and she released her hold on the element. "Good choice."


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: Happy Friday **

**Chapter 7**

Natasha Romanoff curled her lip in frustration. She and Tony had gotten to Maryland too late, and the three trucks transporting the dismantled alien parts had already been torn apart. Dammit.

From what she could gather, the drivers had been knocked unconscious and thrown out of the trucks while the vehicles were moving. The poor bastards were nursing their wounds in the hospital, but at least they were alive. From what Natasha had seen, this girl could have killed them easily if she wanted to.

It had been four weeks since she, Rhodey, and Fury had arrived in New York, and they weren't any closer to catching her. Only two reports had come in reporting a sighting, and both times she had vanished before they got there.

"Whoever this girl is, she's getting on my last nerve." Natasha huffed, depositing a small piece of one of the crushed trucks back onto the scorched asphalt.

Stark's helmet retracted, and his irked expression matched what she was feeling. "How does she get away so fast? My software hasn't been able to lock onto her face long enough to have it registered. I'm going to have to make some adjustments when we get back to the lab."

Natasha smirked at that, "Maybe you can have Peter help you."

Stark's eyebrows reached for his hairline. "Interesting. That's the first time you've mentioned the kid."

She shrugged, "I like what you're doing for him. It's obvious that kid worships the ground you walk on."

"He does not!" Stark scoffed, then rolled his eyes at her disbelieving leer. "Okay, maybe a little. I kind of like it."

"You like anyone who boosts your oversized ego, Stark." Natasha turned on her heel to walk the perimeter of the crash site again. "It looks like a bomb went off here. The Enhanced really did a number on these trucks."

He nodded, scanning the scene one more time before switching on his thrusters and pushing into the air. "I'm going to do another sweep around the area and see if I can find anything. Are you good to get back to the compound?"

"Yeah, I've got the Quinjet over there." She tilted her head towards the cornfield. "When the kid gets there this weekend, we should all do dinner together. Minus Fury, of course."

Iron Man stared at her for a moment, "Are you serious? I can never tell."

She waved him off and turned back towards the wreckage. "Of course I'm serious. I expect something exquisite. If you burn my food, I'll cut out your tongue."

"I'll make sure to warn the kid." Tony said with a smirk before blasting off into the air.

Smart man.

XX

"Karen, what time is it?" Peter asked as he swung upwards and flipped down onto the top of an old building in the industrial side of town.

"It is currently two-fifteen a.m., Peter."

He groaned, collapsing onto the building's ledge and letting his feet dangle to take a breather. It had been a long night of patrolling. He had stopped four muggings, six robberies, and helped the police with two high-speed chases. Did all of the criminals in Queens just up and decide to go be evil tonight or something? Geez.

Peter pulled off his mask, happy to have a little bit of fresh air and time to rest. He had missed a few calls from May, but he texted to assure her that he was fine, and that he'd wake her up when he finally made it home.

At least he'd get to see Tony tomorrow. Happy was supposed to pick him up from school like he did last few Fridays, and Peter hadn't gotten any indication that the plan had changed. Despite how busy Tony, Natasha, Rhodey, and Director Fury were with trying to find the new Enhanced lady, his mentor still gave him plenty of attention.

Over the past few weekends, he and Tony had learned how to cook six new dishes, including how to use the grill _without_ F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s help. While they had nailed chicken and burgers, their attempt at cooking steaks was dismal. When they weren't learning to fend for themselves, they spent their time either in the Avenger's gym or in front of Tony's living room T.V. watching movies. Peter was pretty much living out his _dream_, life was good.

Peter had a feeling that Tony didn't get much sleep on the weekends. After a full day spent with him, his mentor met up with the two Avengers and Fury. Thankfully, Tony's mood hadn't been compromised by their lack of progress. Fury, on the other hand, was downright terrifying. He kept glaring at Peter like he was a possible threat, and everyone knew what the man did to threats.

As long as Tony was around though, Peter didn't feel so bad. He had this crazy idea that as long as Iron Man was there, he would be safe. Not something he would ever tell the man though. That would be way too embarrassing.

A noise sounded from his left, breaking Peter out of the daze he had been in for the last few minutes. The area he was in was pretty run-down, scattered with abandoned industrial buildings and warehouses. A flickering light caught his attention, and he put back on his mask.

Peter crawled over to the east side of the building, and decided to jump down to the lower warehouse below him. There were six large air conditioner units around, and he ducked behind one before peering out.

A group of men in black uniforms were moving wooden crates from a run-down warehouse into two eighteen wheelers. He played with the different functions on his suit, trying to figure out if he could see what was inside the crates. When Peter zoomed out slightly, he froze. A girl in a form-fitting black and metal suit was stationed about fifteen yards from the transfer, watching it all go down. He was willing to bet that this was the Enhanced the Avengers were looking for.

"Yes!" He duck back behind the unit, psyching himself up to call Tony in the middle of the night. His mentor would probably be pissed that Peter was out patrolling so late, but Tony would be happy that he found the girl, right?

He peered out again, hoping to get a better look at her. Peter frowned when he couldn't spot her again. That was weird, she was literally right there-

Peter's spidey senses sent alarm bells ringing, and he spun around quickly, expecting to block a hard blow. Instead, the girl in the vibranium suit was leaning lazily against one of the air conditioning units. She wasn't even posed for an attack, in fact, she looked relatively bored.

"You're trespassing, Spider-Man." Huh, even her voice sounded entirely unimpressed. She kind of reminded him of MJ. MJ? Why was he thinking about her right now? _Focus, Peter._

Ignoring his random train of thought, Peter figured that he could start off with trying to talk to the mystery girl. It might give him some insight as to why the Avengers were so bent on finding her. "I mean, technically, aren't you trespassing too?" He tilted his head in the direction of the transfer, "along with those guys down there? Who I'm ninety-eight percent sure are doing something super illegal."

The girl frowned, "Alright, if you want to get technical here, they-" she mimicked his head tilt, "-don't know you're out here snooping. Which means you still have a chance to leave with all of your body parts."

Uh, gross. He didn't like the sound of that. "And what happens if they _do_ find out I'm here?" Peter asked, wondering how long he could keep the conversation going.

She shrugged, "Then they'll probably order me to kill you. Or torture you. Depends on how they're feeling today."

"And would you?"

The girl gave him an _are you stupid? _look. "I don't disobey direct orders, Spider-Man."

"Right right…" Peter decided he wanted to steer the conversation away from her potentially trying to kill him. "You know." he copied her relaxed stance, "there are a lot of people looking for you."

"Is that right? Care to enlighten me?" She asked with a popped brow.

Peter pretended to be interested in his covered fingernails. "The Avengers. I happen to know they've been trying to find you for a few weeks now. You're an elusive one, aren't you?"

If she was surprised, she didn't show it. "Now what would the Avengers want with little ol' me?" Her voice took on a Little Bo Peep impersonation, and Peter couldn't help but snort. She was kind of funny.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with trying to stop you from working for the Mob. They don't really take kindly to wanted criminals."

The girl's jaw tightened. _Finally_, he was able to get a reaction out of her. "I don't _work_ for anyone, Spider-Man."

Peter held his hands out to the side, gesturing towards the warehouse, "Then what do you call this? You do all of their dirty work, don't you?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you." All right, she sounded pissed, but her bored expression had yet to change.

He took a step forward, "That's true. Hey-" Peter suddenly had an idea, "it's not fair that you get to know my superhero name, and I don't know what yours is. Your super villain name."

The corners of her lips twitched downwards. "I'm not a super villain." She huffed, sounding a little offended.

He took another step, "Fine, whatever, your bad guy name."

"I'm not a bad guy either, Spider-Man." She sighed, as if her patience were running thin. "But since you're being so insistent, I have a _title_."

"A title?" Peter hadn't heard that one before, but at least they were getting somewhere. "Care to enlighten me'?" He parroted her earlier question in a mocking tone, only ten feet away now.

She finally moved from her position, planting her feet on the concrete pavement lining the roof. His spidey senses sent chills along his spine. "If you must know, it's _Shadowbreath_."

Peter let out an amused breath, "And you're telling me that you aren't a super villain with that 'title'?"

The girl lifted her hand outwards, her fingers wriggling. "Are you going to leave while you still can, or what?"

He shrugged, acting sad that he had to disappoint her. "_No can-doosville, baby doll_." Peter flung a web towards her head, which she evaded easily. Damn.

"Did you just quote _How I Met Your Mother _to me?" She asked with a little laugh, and he avoided a whip of needle-like air slicing towards his face at the last moment. _Holy shit._

Peter flipped backwards, trying to put as much space between them as he could. "Yes! You know, I seem to recall that show teaching me that '_nothing good happens after two am'_." He shot four rapid web shooters towards her hands, lacing them through her fingers dozens of times to hold them steady.

Shadowbreath snorted, "Two can play at that game." All of a sudden, flames erupted from the palms of her hands, instantly melting away the webbing. _Shit shit shit shit._ "You know Spider-Man, I'd wish you the best of luck here, but I believe '_luck is a concept created by the weak to explain their failures_'. You should take that one to heart and walk away now, you can't win this one."

Peter cursed under his breath, continuing to shoot webs towards her at a distance while he tried to come up with a plan. "Parks and Rec. You know, Ben Wyatt is basically my spirit animal." He spun to the side, ducking to avoid the fire whips she was cracking at him. Peter sprinted and leapt off the side of the building, tucking and rolling until he was back on his feet on the next rooftop over. He cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Hey Shadowbreath, '_that car is your superpower! Thor would never wager his hammer, and Neil Patrick Harris would never wager his showmanship_!'"

Even from below, he could tell she was grinning. This was by far the weirdest fight he had ever been in. Fun, but very, very weird. "Karen, call Mr. Stark, please-oh shit!"

His eyes widened as the girl twirled her hands around her body, manipulating the air around her to bring her towards the rooftop he had jumped to. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine! _Noice_!" She yelled with a little laugh, kneeling onto the concrete and bringing her fist down. His jaw dropped as the material wrapped itself around her fist, and he dove out of the way to avoid a quick jab. "To be fair, I haven't actually met Thor yet. But I can imagine the line is still painfully accurate." Dang, she had great taste in television. If they weren't in an epic fight, maybe they could actually be pretty good friends. Peter dodged the next few blows the best he could, but she caught him a couple times, and he couldn't help the hiss that escaped through his teeth when they landed. She hit _hard_.

After four rings, Tony finally picked up, sounding groggy and irritated "Kid? It's almost three in the morning, what-"

"Mr. Stark!" Shadowbreath paused her advances for a second, thinking Peter was talking to her. "I have a bit of a situation here!" She grit her teeth and continued her attacks.

"Situation? Are you out patrolling-"

Peter cried out when her covered fist connected with his chest and sent him flying backwards, causing him to crash into the brick wall. "_Ow_!"

Tony's voice was now panicked, "Pete? Are you okay?"

He coughed, grimacing when he tasted blood. "I found her, Tony! The Enhanced chick!" Speaking of the devil, she kicked two fireballs in his direction. He rolled out of the way, but one caught him in the arm, scorching through the suit and leaving the skin that stretched from his shoulder to his elbow singed. "Alright, alright, let's talk about this!"

Peter held up his hands in defense when Shadowbreath stalked towards him, and he heard the sound of metal clanking together over the phone line. "I'm coming for you, kid. Stay alive until I get there." Oh, thank god. Tony was coming.

"I gave you an out, remember?" She asked, suddenly serious. Peter's brow furrowed, and he tried to ignore the crippling pain in his chest and arm. It was almost blinding. He scrambled to his feet, and she brought her fist across his cheek again. Peter saw stars, and fell back onto the ground. Where was he again? Oh right, fighting...someone. The super villain who didn't think she was a super villain.

"H-he's coming." Peter coughed violently, spitting out blood.

The girl paused, tilting her head as if listening to something. She knelt down close to him, and for a second, Peter was terrified for his life. Judging by the fact that she didn't look out of breath whatsoever, Shadowbreath could probably kill him easily. "Good. Then they'll take care of you. If anyone asks, I left you here to die. Capiche?" Her long black hair curtained her thin face, and before he could think about what he was doing, Peter threw caution into the wind and webbed the corner of the mask, flinging it off. Judging by the surprised look flashing across her smooth features, she wasn't expecting that.

Peter gaped at her, committing her face to memory. Holy shit, she couldn't have been much older than him. "Y-you're…"

Shadowbreath seemed to overcome the shock of exposing her face, and cursed, releasing the hold on the concrete around her hands. She stood up quickly and brought her boot down onto his nose with a ridiculous amount of force, cracking the bones underneath the weight. He cried out, and tears immediately sprang to his eyes. Shit, that fucking _hurt_!

"That's for taking off my mask, Spider-Man. That wasn't part of the plan." She sounded utterly furious as she burnt the webbing off of it and placed the mask gingerly back on her face.

Peter clutched onto his broken nose with his left hand when his right arm hurt too much to jostle. "T-t-the plan?"

Shadowbreath started backing up towards the edge of the rooftop. "The plan, Spider-Man. I had to distract you long enough for my guys to get away." She crouched down, getting ready to jump, and looked back at him over her shoulder. "_That was fun. Let's never do it again._"

He barely registered the JackAss 2 quote before she was gone, and he lay back onto the rooftop, groaning incomprehensibly. "Yeah. I agree." He whispered to himself, trying to gather enough strength to go after her. It proved to be futile, and he ended up collapsing a second time, and not getting back up.

Peter wasn't sure how much time had passed before he heard the familiar clanking of metal, but he was too exhausted to open his eyes. "Kid? Pete, are you okay?" Tony was clearly freaking out as he knelt beside him and carefully picked his head up off of the cold concrete. That was sweet; Tony was worried about him.

He was too tired to form a response, so he just hummed softly. Tony ripped off his mask, and Peter grunted in protest. "Nnuuuun!"

"Shit." Tony didn't sound very happy. Peter didn't like it when Tony wasn't happy. "Peter, I need you to open your eyes for me."

Woah, Tony hadn't called him by his first name before. He must be serious. Peter tried to do as his mentor asked, but it was hard. His head throbbed painfully, and his face ached from the broken bones.

"Come on kid, I need you to open your eyes." Tony asked, his voice suddenly very soft. Someone was cradling his face with their hand. It was nice. And warm. With an enormous amount of effort, Peter was able to do as Tony asked. The relief that flashed across his mentor's features was the first thing he saw, but when he blinked a couple times, Peter thought the billionaire just looked scared. Peter decided that he didn't like it any more than he liked when Tony was unhappy.

"How's the kid?" A new voice asked, and James Rhodes appeared in his line of vision. Interesting. He must have been right behind Tony. But Iron Man was faster. Because Iron Man is the best.

Tony swallowed thickly, "We need to get him to the Medbay. You and Nat try to find the bitch who did this." Bitch? Who was Tony talking about? Where was he again?

"On it. Take the Quinjet, it will be faster. We can find our own way back." Rhodey urged, and Tony nodded quickly. Peter's eyelids grew heavy, and he let them slide closed. He was safe now; Tony would take care of him.

The last thing Peter remembered was being lifted into someone's arms, which he would have been embarrassed about if he believed he could actually stand on his own two feet. "Don't worry kid, I've got you." The deep voice soothed, and Peter believed him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Note: Happy Monday! Thanks for reading. Favs/Kudos/Comments are appreciated **

**Chapter 8**

When Peter opened his eyes again, he was confused. He didn't recognize the cream walls surrounding him, and a slow beeping kept disrupting his line of thinking.

"Kid?" _Tony_. His voice came from Peter's left. His mentor closed his eyes, visibly relieved, before they settled on him again. "How are you feeling?"

Peter did a quick internal check over his injuries. His face didn't hurt quite as bad as before, and his chest and arm only ached, where last night they blinded him with pain. "Better." His voice cracked, and he tried to sit up, "Can I have some water?"

Tony grabbed a bottle from the mini fridge and helped Peter take a sip. "Mmm, thanks." He rested against the pillows again. "So, did you guys find her?"

A flash of indignation flickered behind his mentor's eyes, and he shook his head. "No. But don't worry, we will. I'm not going to let her get away with this."

Confusion replaced anger when Peter chuckled. "You know, she's really not that bad."

Tony stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me right now, Pete? That girl beat the living snot out of you!"

Peter shrugged, "Yeah, but she gave me a chance to walk away, and I chose not to. She also could have killed me, and she didn't."

Tony Stark did not look pleased with that remark. "Let's never talk about you dying ever again, okay? Okay. Sounds good to me." Before Peter could argue, he continued, "By the way, May is coming over after her shift."

That got his attention. Peter sat upright in the bed, causing a small dose of dizziness. "You told May? _Tony_!"

His mentor actually had the audacity to laugh, "Hey, you were the one who was out patrolling later than you were supposed to. I told you that you should be home by eleven every night. From what I gathered, May agrees with me." Tony raised his eyebrows at Peter. "Plus, there's no way you were going to school today. They would have called her anyway when you didn't show up."

Peter groaned loudly, covering his face with both hands, then instantly pulling his hands back when the movement caused a sharp flare of pain. "Wait, what time is it? Tony, she's going to kill me! Officially kill me."

"What did I say about you dying, kid?" Tony grunted, and Peter grimaced sheepishly. "And it's almost noon." The elevator doors opened across the hall, and Natasha and Rhodey strolled in.

Rhodey gave him a little smile and ruffled his hair, "How are you feeling, kiddo?" Peter tried waving him off and moved his hands to fiddle with the sheet draped over his lower half. Where Tony's best friend brought a calming presence, Natasha's glare was making him uncomfortable. He didn't like the feeling of being picked apart. She must have noticed his change in posture, because her eyes grew significantly softer. He tried to give her a little smile in appreciation.

"I'm fine. I should be better in a few hours. I heal fast."

"So I've heard." He patted Peter on the leg and turned to Tony. "We still haven't heard or seen anything from the Enhanced. Sorry, man. We'll keep trying."

Suddenly, Peter's eyes widened as he remembered the details from last night. "Her name's Shadowbreath. Or, at least that's her _title_. Whatever that means."

All three adults turned to stare at him, which made him inexplicably nervous, so he kept talking. Word vomit might be a more accurate term. "Before we fought, we talked for a few minutes. She watches the same shows as I do. You know, the funny ones. She has a good memory, because we basically just quoted things to each other in the middle of our fight. It was kind of awesome. Her name is Shadowbreath and-" Peter started vibrating with excitement, "and I know what she looks like! After she beat me up, which hurt, by the way, I webbed her mask off. Guys, guys, _guys_! She's a teenager! Like, she couldn't have been much older than me!"

Tony's jaw dropped, and Rhodey was looking at him like he grew a second head, while Natasha's expression remained unchanged. His mentor shook off his surprise and immediately tilted his chin upward. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., play the footage from Spider-Man's Baby Monitor."

He leaned into Peter, gripping his forearm, "What time did all of this start, Peter?"

He thought back, a little peeved that Tony called his suit camera a 'Baby Monitor' but chose to let it slide for now. "Around two-thirty or so."

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., you heard the kid."

"Yes, boss."

A fifty-inch holographic screen materialized in front of them, and Peter instantly recognized the rooftop from last night. It was weird watching something that was from his point of view.

"What were they transferring?" Natasha asked, standing close to the screen, trying to analyze every second of the footage.

Peter shrugged, "No idea, I honestly just stumbled on it and didn't get a good enough look before she showed up."

They watched as he verbally sparred with Shadowbreath for a few minutes before they exchanged blows. Rhodey was the only one who laughed at their sporadic television quotes. Tony, on the other hand, was visibly nervous. His fingers curled into a fist, and his knuckles paled. Tony reached a hand out towards Peter without looking away from the screen, and let out a breath as he ghosted a thumb over his pulse. If Peter didn't know any better, he would have thought Tony was reminding himself that Peter was okay. That he was safe.

Even Peter couldn't help but wince as he was reminded of how much each one of those shots hurt. His injuries pulsed with each blow. Finally, they had reached the end of the fight. Shadowbreath knelt down close to him, and his web shooters reached out to grab the mask from her face.

"Holy shit, the kid was right. She's just a teenager." Rhodey said in disbelief while crossing his arms.

Tony didn't release his grip on Peter's wrist. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., how long until you've got a match?"

A few moments of silence before, "I estimate I will have completed my search through the recognition software in forty-three seconds."

"Good, good." Tony mumbled, still not taking his eyes off of the screen.

Natasha, on the other hand, turned to look at him. "What did the girl mean when she said that she didn't _work_ for the Mob, Peter?"

He furrowed his brow. That _was_ weird. "I don't know. But she was also pretty positive that she wasn't a bad guy. And honestly, I don't know if she is either."

That got Tony's attention. "What?"

Peter raised a hand, gesturing to the screen. "You saw it for yourself. She's not like the others we've come across."

Tony shook his head, "That's not the point, kid. She's out there working for the Five Families. She is a criminal. Which means she's a bad guy. Or did you forget how you ended up in Medbay?"

Peter crossed his arms and leaned back into the pillows again. "I don't know."

"Boss, I have found a match within our software."

Everyone in the room perked up. "What did you find, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

"According to my artificial aging calculations, the woman in question shares a 92% facial structure match with the subject of a cold case from ten years ago."

Tony shared a look with Rhodey and Natasha. "A cold case? Pull up the file."

The screen flickered, and two pages stamped with red _CONFIDENTIAL_ lettering appeared on the screen. One contained scribbled notes that were barely legible, while the other displayed a picture of a young girl with thick black hair, maybe six or so, being held up by two people he assumed where her parents.

"I remember this case." Tony mused, finally letting go of Peter and stepping forward with a fist under his chin. "It was a few weeks after I had came out as Iron Man. Someone broke into the home of Marie and Dennis Anderson, two scientists who worked for S.H.I. . They were found murdered in their daughter Alex's bedroom. The little girl's body was never found."

"I'm assuming the NYPD was never able to determine what happened?" Natasha asked, her green eyes lingering on the girl's face.

Tony shrugged, "I guess not. I wasn't actually brought in on this case. I had other things going on at the time."

Rhodey sat down in the chair next to Peter's hospital bed and kicked up his feet. "So whoever broke into the house must have kidnapped the girl, Alex. And now she's off working for the mob."

Peter tilted his head in thought, "Well, now that we know she's alive, maybe you guys can look into what happened that night. We can find out where she's been for the past ten years."

"_We_ aren't doing anything." Tony ground out, clearly exasperated.

Peter sat up a little straighter, "But-"

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., send me a copy of the file, along with the videos we have of the girl." Natasha asked, cutting Peter off.

"Certainly, Agent Romanoff."

She turned on her heels towards the elevator before looking back over her shoulder. "I'll do some digging."

Tony nodded and returned his attention to Peter and Rhodes. "Knowing how persistent Romanoff is, she will have something for us within the next forty-eight hours. The next step would be figuring out what to do when we find her."

"Judging by the footage from the Baby Monitor, she's especially dangerous. We will need to figure out a way to negate her abilities if we want to stand a chance of bringing her in without anyone getting hurt." Rhodey summed, raising his brow at the billionaire.

Tony sighed, "I need more time with the footage. I need to find out how her abilities work, and if there even is a way to negate them."

Peter fidgeted with the blanket covering his legs, "I can help with that!"

Rhodey looked amused, while Tony opened his mouth, most likely to protest, so Peter shook his head. "I'm serious. I'm the only one who's seen her up close. If anyone can help you figure it out, it's me."

Tony considered him for a moment, obviously trying to come up with another excuse as to why he shouldn't be involved. Thankfully, his resolve seemed to fail. "Fine, you can help kid." Peter's face broke out into a grin before his mentor pointed a stubborn finger at him. "But not until you're all healed up. And only once you get the green light from May."

Peter groaned, "But Tony! I'll be as good as new by tomorrow morning, and Aunt May might send me back home!"

His mentor shrugged, "She might. But Pepper is going to be here for dinner tonight, so we'll talk to her. And this way you will actually have a day to rest."

Peter's eyes widened, "Pepper is actually coming for dinner? That hasn't happened in weeks!"

"Trust me, I know. But she's busy running SI, and she's been trying to keep more off of my plate until we deal with the Enhanced. Or Shadowbreath. Alex, whatever her name is. Anyway, Pep is looking forward to seeing you." Tony's voice suddenly seemed very tired, and he turned towards the door.

Peter's nerves set fire watching the billionaire walk away. "You're leaving?" He cursed under his breath at how ridiculously pathetic he just sounded.

Tony raised his eyebrow and shot a look at Rhodey before his gaze settled back on Peter. "I'm just getting some coffee, kiddo." He made his way over to the pot in the back corner and poured himself a cup.

Peter felt his cheeks flush, and he looked down in embarrassment. "Oh..Uh, good. But I know you're really busy. You don't have to stay."

His mentor stared at him for a few more seconds and gestured to Rhodey. "Out of my chair."

The smirk dancing across Rhodey's face made Peter run a hand through his already disheveled hair. This was more than a little embarrassing. When did he get so attached to Tony?

"No problem, Tones. I'll go see if Nat needs help." He ruffled Peter's hair and made his way to the elevator. "Get better, kid."

Peter nodded at him, still too afraid to speak in case his voice decided to crack again. He peered over at his mentor, who had swung his feet onto the edge of Peter's bed, playing with something on his Starkpad. "Are you sure you want to stay?"

Tony sighed, rubbing a tired hand underneath his tinted glasses. He took a long swig of coffee and met Peter's nervous gaze. "Of course I'm sure kid. I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together, right?"

Peter's lips upturned, and a budding warmth blossomed in his chest. "Right. Thanks, Tony."

His mentor gave him an uncharacteristic smile, and moved to squeeze his hand affectionately. "Anytime, kid. Anytime."

XX

Alex fidgeted under her father's intense glare. He was sitting atop his desk, facing her while she tried to straighten her spine in the leather chair.

"Let me see if I heard you correctly, _Shadowbreath_." Alex winced. He never used her title like this. "You left your post guarding the warehouse to distract Spider-Man. And instead of finishing him off, like you were _supposed_ to, you left him, very much _alive_, to be found by none other than Iron Man himself?" Joey's voice was steely with barely concealed fury.

She swallowed dully and nodded, keeping her eyes on her shaky hands.

"Would you care to tell me _why_?" His tone suggested that she had no choice but to answer.

Alex tried to think back to pinpoint the exact moment that she decided not to kill Spider-Man. Before the transfer, Angelo had explained that the masked vigilante would be on patrol tonight. If he came anywhere their operation, Alex was supposed to keep him away long enough for the Family to escape. She was meant to incapacitate him by "any means necessary," which was a not-so-subtle hint to end the hero's life. However, it was ambiguous, and she had found a loophole. Alex didn't _need_ to kill Spider-Man, as long as she kept him from stopping the operation.

And she didn't want to, either. She had more fun fighting with him and exchanging television quotes than she had in months here at home. Maybe even years. How long had it been since she interacted with someone other than the Genovese family? Unless she was torturing someone for information, ending someone's life for crimes against the Family, or ensuring that the Tinkerer stayed on schedule, Alex wasn't allowed contact with anyone else. Marco, her father's advisor, kept her company, but she was pretty sure that he, along with her seven tutors, were paid to do just that. There weren't any other children or teenagers around for her to interact with, so when the masked vigilante simply _talked_ to her rather than straight out attack, she jumped at the chance to have a conversation.

"He didn't need to die, Father." She muttered, lacing her fingers together.

She jumped when he slammed his ringed fingers against the desk. "He _didn't need_ to die?" Joey was shouting now. She hated it when he shouted. "He is just going to come back, Alexandria! Because you left him alive, he will be back, and he will threaten our entire business! Our _family_!"

Alex tried to shake her head in disagreement, "I can take him. He won't be a threat to us, Father."

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at his eyes, which were coated with a fiery rage. "He will be back with the Avengers. Iron Man, and the others. You showed weakness, Alexandria. And it has threatened us all."

She was shaking now, trying to control the thin rope holding her emotions together. "I understand your aversion to taking lives, _mi figlia_, I do." His tone softened, but his expression didn't change. "But it has made you weak. And weakness must be punished. You know it does."

Alex's eyes widened. Shit. She knew this was a possibility, but her father hadn't punished her like this in years. "No, no, Father, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" She gripped onto the wrist that still held her chin, begging for him to change his mind.

Joey looked sad, and seemed to age in front of her. He released her, and shook off her hands. He straightened his suit, and called out to the door. "Luca, have Anthony and Giovanni bring Alexandria down to The Fold."

She stood up, pressing herself up against the wall and shaking her head erratically. Her father's henchmen appeared in the doorway, faces expressionless. "No, I don't want to go!" Wind began whipping around her feet, and for a moment, their advances stopped.

Her Father slammed his rings atop the desk again, gathering everyone's attention. "Do not fight this Alexandria. You know you are not meant to use your powers against your own family. I am doing this for your own good. Face your punishment like a true warrior."

His words reverberated within her mind, and Alex's resolve weakened. She instantly felt ashamed at the lack of control she displayed. She should be embarrassed at how easily her fear got the best of her. Alex disobeyed orders, as ambiguous as they might have been, and therefore deserved to be punished. That was the rule within the Genovese family. It wouldn't be fair if she used her powers to escape it. And how could she even think to use them against her own family? It wasn't right.

Alex's teeth ground together, and she dropped her outstretched hands. Anthony and Giovanni gripped her upper arms, as gently as they could, and led her from the room. Before they walked through the threshold, her father called out, "Hesitation in battle can get you killed, _mi figlia_. I am only trying to keep you safe."

She almost believed him.

Once they were out of sight from her Father's office, the two men released her arms. They each gave her a sobering look, and she followed them down the stairs with her gaze fixed straight ahead. She didn't regret leaving Spider-Man alive on that rooftop. He was a good person, and he didn't deserve to die. But her Father was right, her opposition to killing made her weak. Alex couldn't help it, but it didn't change the fact that the masked vigilante could come after her family again. This time with help. The Avengers. She deserved to be punished for that.

And that's why she didn't object when her Father's men led her into the large steel enclosure that resided four levels below the basement of their mansion. That's why she didn't object to them placing the iron manacles across her wrists, locking the door behind her and leaving her alone.

And that's why she refused to let the scream escape her lips when they turned on the machine powering the chamber, shooting electricity through her chains. Her blood boiled, and tremors vibrated under her skin, causing it to feel like her veins were bursting open. The pain was earth shattering, and Alex could only think about how she couldn't remember it hurting this much before.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She screamed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Note: Happy Independence Day! Early chapter. Lots of Peter and Tony fluff **

**Chapter 9**

"Peter Benjamin Parker!"

Tony watched Peter sink further down into the couch, ducking out of sight from Aunt May, who had just stepped off the elevator accompanied by Pepper. He couldn't help the amused grin that spread across his face and called out, "He's over here, May!"

The kid groaned and narrowed his eyes at Tony, who shot a wink in his direction. Peter's dangerously attractive aunt stomped over; blocking their view of the television with her hands on her slim hips while Pep lingered in the kitchen. May quickly took in the light bruising on his face, which had been healing nicely over the past few hours, and the thick gauze covering the burns on his arms, and a flicker of concern danced behind her eyes.

May took a deep breath and seemed to be trying to keep her cool. "Would you please, PLEASE explain to me what you think you were doing out as Spider-Man until three o'clock in the morning? And why I had to hear it from Mr. Stark that you were hurt?" Her jaw twitched as Peter looked at Tony through the corner of his eye.

The billionaire raised his hands defensively, "Hey, don't blame me, kid. It's not like I was going to keep this from her, especially since she knows that you like to go fight street crime in pajamas."

Peter's lip curled upwards, "They aren't pajamas anymore. You would know, you designed my suit."

Tony shrugged, "Spandex, pajamas, I don't see a difference here, kid."

May snapped her fingers in front of Peter's face, and he jumped to attention. Right, the kid was being reprimanded. Tony found himself wondering if he should take notes. He never knew what the right thing to say to the kid was when he didn't follow the rules. "Focus, Peter. What were you doing out so late, anyway?"

Peter chewed on the inside of his cheek sheepishly, "It sort of just happened, May, I'm sorry. Things kept coming up, and I wasn't ready to go home yet."

She rubbed her temple, clearly exasperated. Tony couldn't blame her. "Peter, you are _sixteen_ years old. You can't break curfew without consequences, with or without your powers." May moved to sit on Peter's other side, and rested a hand on his knee. "When I say you need to be home by eleven, it's not a request. Mr. Stark agrees with me." Her eyes flickered to Tony's, silently asking for backup.

He would be the first to admit that he wasn't very good at this whole good role model situation he was trying out, but Tony was honestly a little afraid to contradict Peter's aunt in any way, shape, or form, so he nodded when Peter flashed those big brown puppy dog eyes at him. "She's right. You're just a teenager, kid. You need to listen to your aunt." Tony felt a little trickle of pride when Pepper nodded at him from the kitchen.

Peter groaned again and grimaced, running a hand across his face "I can't just leave when I know my city is in trouble. If anything happens while I'm gone, it's on me."

Tony sighed and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder, giving it an affectionate squeeze. "Kid, I know it sucks, but you have to trust that the police can handle things when you hang up the suit for the night. It's something all of the Avengers have to accept at some point. We can't save everyone."

May nodded, shooting Tony a grateful smile. She frowned again, and Tony knew the punishment was coming next. The kid seemed to be holding his breath too. "Peter, I'm sorry, but you broke the rules. No Spider-Man for a week."

Tony tightened his jaw when Peter flinched in response, clinging onto his aunt's hand. "What? No, May! A week!?" His voice raised half an octave, and the billionaire was glad May was handling this part.

Her steely expression didn't change, and she crossed her arms. "Yes, Peter, a week. You broke the rules, and then got hurt because of it. You need to know that you can't do whatever you want, whenever you want." She swallowed thickly, "And I don't trust you not to sneak out, so I need you to hand over the suit."

Apparently, that was not what Peter wanted to hear. Tony wasn't sure anything could have prepared him for the kid's reaction.

Peter sprung from the couch, wincing harshly when the movement jostled his still healing arm, and shouted at his aunt. "NO! YOU ARE NOT TAKING AWAY THE SUIT!"

May, Pepper, and Tony gaped like fish out of water at the kid's sudden flash of anger. When May seemed too stunned to move, the billionaire rose from the couch and snapped back. "Peter Parker! Do not speak to your aunt that way! Apologize!"

Peter jerked back, his eyes suddenly filled with regret. "I-I'm sorry, May." He straightened with frustrated resolve after a few seconds and took a few steps away from the couch, "But you can't take away the suit. I won't go out as Spider-Man, whatever. You can ground me, whatever. But I'm keeping the suit!"

Finally, May joined the two of them on her feet, obviously flustered. "Peter Benjamin Parker! If I tell you to hand over the suit, then you hand it over! What in the world has gotten into you?" She was shaking her head in disbelief, but the kid didn't seem to want to budge. Pepper was watching the trio with wide-eyes, clearly unsure of what to do.

"No." Tony had the feeling the kid was desperately avoiding his gaze, "The answer is no." When May tried to rest her hand on Peter's shoulder, he shrugged her away and ran from the living room, leaving Tony, May, and Pepper looking after him in total confusion.

"Peter!" She shouted as he stepped into the elevator, but he just covered his face with both hands.

May turned towards Tony once the doors slid shut, "What the hell was that?" She asked, her voice bordering on panic.

He blinked, trying to understand it himself. He had never seen Peter act that way before, even when he took his suit away the first time. Tony's brain was going haywire, trying and failing to figure out what just happened.

"I...have no idea." He confessed with a shrug. Tony scratched the back of his head.

Pepper joined them in the living room and placed a comforting arm across May's shoulders. "Tony, maybe you should check on him. I'll make May some tea."

May sighed audibly, and nodded her head. "That might be for the best, thank you Mr. Stark. I'm sorry you both had to see that."

Tony waved her off, "Call me Tony, please." He headed towards the elevator slowly, trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to say to a sixteen year old kid who just blew a gasket. It wasn't like he had a mountain of experience when it came to dealing with teenagers, or talking about feelings, or…anything helpful in this situation. He had half a mind to have Pepper go up and talk to Peter; she seemed to deal with his own temper tantrums pretty well.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., where's the kid now?" He asked his AI.

"Mr. Parker is in his room." She responded.

Tony tried to control his nervous hands by clapping them together, "Perfect, take me up."

Once he stood outside of Peter's room, he hesitated, not quite sure how he was going to play this. He knocked lightly, alerting his presence as if he were confronting a wild animal. Par for the course, a quiet grunt answered him. Tony took that as a half-hearted invitation, turning the knob and stepping foot inside the dimmed room.

Peter was sitting at the edge of his bed, head in his hands. He didn't look up when Tony took the space next to him.

"Kid? Want to clue me in on what's going through your head right now?" Tony asked quietly, not really sure where to start. Honesty seemed like the best option. "Because I've got to tell you, I have absolutely no idea."

Peter shook his head against his palms, and Tony noticed a tremble course it's way along the non-bandaged arm. "I...I can't Mr. Stark…I just can't."

"Hey…" He moved a hand between Peter's shoulder blades, keeping it there through the automatic tension at the touch before the kid relaxed into it. "I thought we were past formality here. Come on, Pete, talk to me."

The kid lifted his gaze and examined Tony shakily. He furiously wiped at the tears that had pooled at the corner of his eyes, and tried to take a few deep breaths. "I'm fine, Tony. Really."

Tony just raised an eyebrow, making it painfully clear he wasn't budging. "Peter, if something is bothering you, talk to me. You can't just hold everything in, it's not healthy."

Peter just snorted and looked at him incredulously. "That's rich, coming from you." He must have looked thoroughly confused, because Peter narrowed his eyes at Tony. "You haven't once talked about what happened between you and Cap."

Tony physically recoiled, lifting his hand off Peter as if he had been burned. "That's not true."

The kid leaned back a hair so that now one of his legs was curled up underneath him on the bed, "Yes, it is. Anytime I ask a question about Germany or if he's coming back anytime soon, you freak out and shut down, then tell me not to worry about it."

"Because you shouldn't worry about it!"

Peter threw his hands up in the air, "But I worry about you! I can tell whatever happened, it's killing you!"

Tony blinked. He stared at the teenager who was very clearly close to breaking out in tears again, and tried to reign in his surprise.

The kid took his silence as an invitation to continue, "He was your friend, I know he was. But something happened, and you haven't talked to anyone about it." He took a deep breath to steady his wavering voice and his gaze met Tony's, "how am I supposed to talk to someone about my nightmares if the one person I look up to in this world won't talk about theirs?"

Well, fuck. He didn't know how to respond to that. Tony was officially floored and at a loss for words, which was not a feeling he was comfortable with. But, as much as he hated to admit it, the kid was right. His fight with Cap had redefined him, and he caught himself fingering the flip phone he always kept on his person. The look on Peter's face broke something inside of Tony, and he knew he couldn't play this off with a joke or redirect the situation.

So he pulled Peter in for a hug. The kid stilled against his touch, but after a few seconds he clung to the back of Tony's shirt and choked out a sob. Tony buried his face in Peter's hair and inhaled, trying to memorize his scent. After a few minutes, he pulled back and grasped onto his shoulders. "Okay, kid. You win."

He let go of Peter and toed off his shoes before scooting back onto the bed so that his back leaned up against the headrest. Tony patted the spot next to him, and Peter didn't hesitate to join him. He put his arm around the kid's shoulders, careful not to jostle his burned arm, and settled in. This would be easier if he didn't have to look Peter in the eye.

Peter seemed to get the message, because he just leaned into the comfort Tony was offering and closed his eyes. "The first thing you have to understand, kid, is that some things can't be fixed." Tony took a deep breath, trying to fight past the heavy clump that had found its way into his chest. "Me and Cap...we are one of those things."

The kid tensed, his voice quiet and small, "what happened?"

"At first, we disagreed on the Soviet Accords. I wanted to keep our power in check, and Cap didn't want to have limitations when it came to helping people." Tony leaned his head back as he let himself remember. "We disagreed, but it didn't change things between us. We were still…us. Friends. Teammates. In the middle of all of that, a bomb went off in Vienna, killing a lot of people. Everyone thought The Winter Soldier was behind the attack."

Peter raised his head a little off Tony's shoulder, "the guy with the metal arm?"

Tony nodded. "Yup. He was Cap's best friend, even before the serum. James Buchanan Barnes. Hydra got ahold of him, brainwashed him, and made him into an assassin. But Steve was _so_ sure that Barnes didn't set off the bomb. He had been lying low for a while. I tried to convince him to let us bring the Winter Soldier in, to save our reputation with the government and the public."

The kid snuggled back against Tony. "That's when you asked me to help in Germany. To help bring him in."

Tony couldn't help but smile, and ran his fingers through Peter's hair. "Yeah, that's when I came and found you. Turns out, Barnes really didn't do it. I called a truce and followed them out to a Siberian Hydra Base, and that's where…" he couldn't help the panic that crawled up his throat as he thought about what went down there. Watching footage of Barnes murdering his parents. Of Cap's shield slicing through the Arc Reactor. Of being alone and freezing in Siberia. He rubbed at his face with his free hand and tried to get his bearings.

Peter's grip on his shirt tightened, "Tony?"

"I'm okay, kid." He needed to tell Peter, so that he would trust him enough to talk to Tony about his nightmares. "The scientist who _did_ set off the bomb only wanted us to fight each other. In the end, he got what he wanted. Apparently...The Winter Soldier, he, well, he killed my parents when I was twenty-one. It was a hit ordered by Hydra. I always thought it was a car crash, but the scientist showed us a video of what really happened." He was babbling now, but he couldn't stop. "And Cap.._Steve_, who was supposed to be my friend, he _knew_. He knew that Barnes killed my parents, and he never told me. He chose him over me, and I couldn't just let Bucky get away with what he did, no matter what kind of brainwashing crap he went through, and Steve…I don't know if he knew about the surgery, or if he just left me to die in Siberia or-"

"_Tony_," Peter stopped him, and suddenly they were both sitting up, Tony with his head in his hands, and Peter gently trying to get his attention.

He sucked in a painful breath and leveled his gaze at the kid's, finding comfort in Peter's worried brown eyes. "Sorry about that kiddo, I got a little caught up."

Peter answered by wrapping his arms around Tony's waist for a hug, and he let himself lean into it. He hadn't told anyone that before, and here he was trusting a sixteen-year-old kid with one of his most painful memories. He suddenly felt a powerful rush of affection for Peter, one that he wondered if his Father ever felt for him. Somehow, he doubted it. No matter what an old video told him, he didn't think Howard had it in him to feel this surge of protectiveness towards him. Tony realized suddenly that keeping Peter safe was now one of his top priorities, right up there with keeping Pepper out of harm's way. It was an interesting revelation to say the least.

He pulled away from Peter, only for a moment, so he could settle back against the headrest. "Thanks, kid."

Peter's head found its way back on Tony's shoulder, "I'm sorry that happened to you. And that your friend hurt you." It didn't seem like he knew what else to say, which didn't bother Tony in the slightest, because it was beyond comforting to hear from his favorite kid.

"Thanks, Pete. He sent me a letter apologizing about it later, as well as a phone. Cap told me to call if I ever needed anything." Tony pulled out the flip phone and fingered it carefully. Peter watched him with interest. "I still haven't forgiven him. I don't know if I ever will."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Tony remembered why they were having this conversation in the first place. He continued running his fingers through Peter's hair, finding inexplicable comfort in the action, "Your turn, kiddo."

Thankfully, Peter didn't try to protest, and instead went straight into his story. "Do you remember when I stopped the Vulture?"

Tony stilled, panic suddenly gripping him as he tried not to think about the plane wreckage. About how much destruction and fire had been laid out on that beach. "The one where you almost died in my plane crash? Yes, I remember that, Peter."

The kid looked up at him with an unreadable expression on his face. "After the incident with the Ferry, and you took my suit, I found out that he was going to go after your plane. I couldn't let him get away with it, especially after I had screwed up so badly before."

Before Tony could interject, Peter continued, "I went to find him at this warehouse, and he just toyed with me. I was so out of my depth that I actually thought he _missed_ me when he attacked with his wings." Peter's grip tightened, his knuckles white. "But he didn't miss, he just took out the supporting columns that held up the building above me. I-I-I didn't realize it in time. It fell on me."

Tony sucked in a breath, but it got caught in his throat. Peter had been trapped underneath a _fucking building_ all by himself, with no way to call for help, and it was all Tony's fault. Because he took away the suit. He couldn't sit down anymore, so he disentangled himself from Peter and got up to pace, always keeping the kid in reaching distance. His face must have been pale, because Peter was watching him nervously. Tony stopped, reaching out to grasp Peter's shoulder, "How? How did you get out?"

The kid had the audacity to shrug. _Fucking shrug_! "I remembered what you told me. 'If I'm nothing without the suit, then I shouldn't have it.' So I got myself out. I lifted it off me. I think it was adrenaline that got me through the plane crash, and I thought I would be okay. B-but then I started having nightmares about it. Being trapped and being alone. I don't want to feel like that again, so I _need_ the suit. May can't take it away." His voice cracked, and Peter's chin dropped to his chest. His entire body shook with silent sobs.

Suddenly Tony found himself with his arms full of Peter. He had gathered the kid up in a bone-crushing hug, the thought of how scared and hurt and alone Peter must have been was too much for him to fully comprehend in that moment. "I'm sorry, kid. I'm so, so, sorry."

Peter clung to him as well, finding comfort in his mentor. "It's not your fault, Tony. I just wanted to make you proud."

Tony pulled away just an inch so that he could look him in the eye. And suddenly he was more serious than he could ever remember being in his entire life. "I will never not be proud of you, Peter. You are everything that I wish I could be, and...and I swear, I swear, nobody is ever taking your suit away again. I'm so proud of you."

The relief flashing behind Peter's eyes was tangible. The kid grasped onto the back of Tony's shirt again and choked on his sobs, tremors echoing throughout his body. Tony just held on for dear life, promising himself that he would never let anything like that ever happen again. Peter was _his_ to protect, and he had failed in epic proportions.

The idea came to him suddenly, and before he could second-guess himself, Tony was fumbling with his pocket. Peter paused, and looked up at him with confusion etched into his tear-tracked face. Tony pulled out the flip phone and set in it Peter's hands. "Take it." The kid's eyes grew comically wide, and he began shaking his head. "No, no. None of that. Take it. If something ever happens, and I'm not there to help, I want you to call Cap."

When he still looked skeptical, Tony curled Peter's fingers around the phone. "I'm serious, kid. I want you to be safe. I never want what happened with Vulture to ever happen again. If I can't be there to help you, then you call Captain freaking America. Tell him I gave this to you."

After a staring contest that seemed to go on forever, Peter finally nodded wearily, and slipped the phone into his pocket. The tension eased out of Tony's shoulders, and he felt instantly better now that Peter had an extra layer of protection. The kid's eyes drooped, and his grip on Tony weakened.

Tony ruffled Peter's hair and tried to ease him back onto the bed. "Get some sleep, kiddo. I'll talk to May. You're still grounded from being Spider-Man, but no one is taking the suit away. We'll talk about it in the morning."

Peter made himself comfortable under the comforter, and gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Tony. For everything."

Later, he would blame his actions on the rollercoaster of emotions that he experienced that night, but right then, he couldn't fight the sudden impulse to lean down and kiss Peter's forehead. "Goodnight, Peter."

"Night, Tony."


	10. Chapter 10

**Note: Happy Friday! **

**Chapter 10**

Breakfast the next morning was more than a little awkward.

When Peter shuffled into the kitchen with ridiculous bedhead and morning breath, five sets of eyes were waiting for him. He froze when he saw Aunt May, Pepper, Tony, Natasha, and Rhodey all lounging around the island. "Uh...good morning…" He muttered, suddenly hyper aware of how bad his temper tantrum last night must have looked.

May crossed her arms, clearly expecting an apology from him. Peter fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, not quite able to meet her gaze. This was embarrassing enough without an audience. "I..I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have raised my voice."

He chanced a look, praying that Tony had somehow convinced Aunt May to let him keep his suit without telling her what actually happened with the Vulture. He didn't want her to have to worry about any of that. Thankfully, she swallowed hard and nodded her head. "I forgive you, Peter. And after talking to Mr. Stark-er, Tony, I decided that I won't take the suit. But, you are still grounded. No Spider-Man for a week."

Peter could feel his face redden, and he wished that they could have had this discussion in private. It was just awkward having to be reprimanded in front of the freaking Avengers. Tony walked over and clapped a hand against Peter's back, and he forcefully had to push down the outrageous desire to hug the man. After last night, he could see a tangible shift in their relationship. Peter couldn't really view Tony as just a mentor anymore after their conversation, which had led to an exchange of trust on both sides. Last night, Tony became more of a father figure in his life than anyone he had ever met, and that included his own flesh and blood.

He was just a baby when his parents died in the plane crash, so Uncle Ben was the only father he had ever known. While it was always clear that him and Aunt May loved him, he never truly felt like _their_ kid. They were close, sure, but he never felt comfortable coming to either of them when he found out about his powers, and they never really let him into their personal lives either. Maybe his inability to truly connect with either of them on a deeper level was the lingering mystery of why May and Ben never adopted him. He didn't have any parents, and while he still had May, he still felt alone most of the time. They were the only parents he had ever known, but they never took the next step on making it official.

Peter loved Uncle Ben, and still felt his loss every single day, but he wasn't his father. Not really. Peter did his best to be there for Aunt May, and tried to be strong for the both of them, because she was the only family he had left.

Tony...Tony was different. He had brought Peter in on something bigger than himself. Tony made him want to be better. The cell phone he had given him last night was burning a hole through his pocket, and Peter made a conscious effort not to fiddle with it in front of the billionaire. After finding out what went down between the two heroes, Peter could honestly say that he was over his hero worship of Captain America. It made him feel better that Tony had given him extra backup, but he prayed he would never actually need to call the super-soldier. Turns out the guy was a total dick.

"I think he's going to accept his punishment like a champ, won't you?" Tony's brown eyes were boring into his, and Peter could feel the warmth and affection behind them.

So, he sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry again, May."

She gave him a little smile, "I forgive you, Peter. Now, let's have some breakfast and then you can pack your things."

Peter stilled, and looked between Tony and Aunt May. "Wait, we're leaving? It's only Saturday."

The hand on Peter's shoulder squeezed, "You're grounded kid, which means no Avengers compound for you until you've served your sentence."

Before Peter could open his mouth to protest, Pepper interrupted. "We talked to May, and since you and Tony are still working on that project for the Avengers, he's going to come see you at the apartment after you get home from school."

He would have sagged with relief if he didn't have Tony's hand grounding him. He crossed the kitchen to wrap May in a hug and muttered, "Thank you for still letting me see him."

She rubbed circles across his back and whispered back, "You're welcome. I love you, Peter. I just want you to be safe, you know that right?" They broke apart and he nodded his acknowledgement with a half-smile. He really did. May was awesome.

A warm grin stretched across Pepper's face, and she said, "Great, now that that's all taken care of, why don't we all go downstairs. Everything should be all set up in the dining room."

"All of us?" He asked, chancing a nervous glance towards the two newcomers.

Rhodey laughed and headed to the elevator, "Hey, I'm not missing out on some free bagels, especially since Pepper ordered from Sunrise. Plus, the family meal was Nat's idea."

Peter's eyes widened as he looked over at Black Widow, who curved her lips upwards. "I want to see if you're as special as Stark makes you out to be."

"Don't worry, he is." It was Pepper who answered, following them into the elevator last. F.R.I.D.A.Y. didn't need any prompting to bring them down a few floors.

Once their plates were full, everyone took their places around the north end of the large dining room table. Peter sat next to Aunt May, and had to stifle a laugh when Tony's seat next to him was suddenly filled by Natasha. The billionaire stared at her with a gaping mouth before huffing and moving to take the empty seat next to Pepper. Natasha blew him a kiss and swung an arm around the back of his chair.

Peter's spidey sense wasn't going off, but he still felt on edge at the attention. Natasha Romanoff was a deadly assassin who could kill you a thousand ways from Sunday, and here she was staring at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

She took a bite of a croissant and licked her lips, still watching him. "So, Peter. I hear you're a pretty smart kid. What year are you in at Midtown?"

He squirmed a little in his chair, and ended up giving her a tight smile. He had a feeling she already knew the answer, considering she had already worked out what school he went to. She probably already knew his social security number and that he failed his first driver's test too. "I'm a junior."

"Are you doing well in all of your classes? I would assume so considering you designed your own web-shooters." She asked with a popped eyebrow.

Peter felt his face flush, and he tried swallowing the last bit of his blueberry scone. "Ah, my classes are going fine. Tony has actually been helping me with upgrading the suit."

"You mean I'm just helping you execute your own plans, right kid?" Tony asked, shooting him a wink. "I'm just the engineer in this situation. You're the one with the big ideas."

If it was possible, Peter's ears tinted a deeper shade of red, and he sunk down into the chair. He wasn't used to this kind of attention. Thankfully, Aunt May laughed it off and changed the subject. "What kind of project is Peter going to be helping you with this week?"

Natasha's eyes narrowed, and she suddenly seemed to have lost her appetite. "Two nights ago, Peter fought the Enhanced we've been searching for. He's the only one who's seen what she can do up close."

Tony swallowed down his last bit of coffee. "We need to find a way to negate her powers, and Peter's our best bet of understanding how they work."

Aunt May sighed, and patted Peter's cheek, "This is going to be dangerous, isn't it?"

"Peter will be safe, don't worry." Rhodey offered, "Once we have all of our ducks in a row, the three of us can go after her. We won't even need Spider-Man."

"But-"

When Peter started to argue, Tony shook his head. "Rhodey's right, kiddo. You got the snot beat out of you. Once we have the technology to stop whatever mojo she's bringing to the table, you'll be staying out of it."

While a frown settled on Peter's face, Aunt May looked visibly relieved. "Good, good." She turned to her nephew and gave him a hopeful smile, "You'll let the Avengers handle this, won't you?"

He found himself unable to disagree with May when she got like this, and he sighed. "Yeah, yeah."

XX

"Can you play it again?" Peter asked with his face inches away from the holographic screen.

Tony moved the cursor back to the beginning, and the two examined the video from the Industrial district again. They were sitting together on the couch in the apartment while May was at work, each with a tablet in their hands with pages and pages of random notes scribbled on them. They had spent the last few days analyzing the video from Elite and Spider-Man's "Baby Monitor," throwing out potential theories about Shadowbreath's abilities.

"So we both agree that her powers are similar, but more specific than Wanda's, correct?" Tony confirmed, watching a video of the Scarlet Witch in action on another screen.

Peter nodded, "Yeah, when Wanda moves things, the energy, or magic, is tangible and tinted the shade of red. I couldn't see anything like that when Shadowbreath moved the different elements. And she seems more limited in her capabilities.

Tony stuck the stylus between his teeth and rubbed his neck. "I also haven't seen any evidence to suggest that she can do the voodoo mind trick Wanda got us with back in Sokovia." He kicked his feet up on the coffee table and leaned heavily against the couch's armrest. "Alright, so we know Marie and Dennis Anderson were S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists who worked on project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. They experimented on the Tesseract before Dr. Erik Selvig was brought on."

"Maybe Alex was somehow exposed to the Tesseract, like Wanda was? I don't know if there is a way for us to confirm that. At least not without having both of them in the same room." Peter huffed while throwing his own feet over Tony's thighs.

The billionaire clicked his tongue. "Then let's focus on what we can find out. In the video from Elite, we clearly see that she can control fire, water, and rocks. She jumps higher than a human is able to, but she showed control over air when she attacked you, right? At least we can finally confirm it."

"Yeah, here," he tapped the screen to pause the video on the left, "she maneuvered her hands in a way so that the air brought her down to my roof. And I also don't think that she's controlling _only_ rocks." He pressed the screen again to make it play, "the concrete in the roof bent around her fist. That's a combination of aggregates and powder, so maybe the definition should be expanded."

"Elements." The billionaire tried, "We've got air, fire, water, and I think it's a safe bet to hypothesize that earth is the last weapon she's got rolling around in her arsenal."

Peter smiled, and drew a chart on his tablet. "Yeah, elements, that feels right to me. So, how do we build something that will negate her powers?"

XX

It was dark outside when May finally made it home, carrying a take out bag from their favorite Thai place. "Are you boys hungry?"

Tony blinked and looked up from his work, as if snapping out of a trance. "Do I smell Pad Thai?" He asked excitedly, sniffing the air like an adorable puppy.

Peter grinned and set aside the tablet, moving to help Aunt May in the kitchen. He handed out the white containers and forks, mindful to set Tony's on the counter in front of him. "That's what it looks like."

The billionaire took one bite and moaned rather obscenely and blew kisses in May's direction. "You, my dear, are the moon and the stars, the heaven and earth, the -"

She laughed lightly, "Actually, you can thank Miss Potts for that one. I called and asked what your favorite dish was."

"I love that woman." Tony smirked, shaking his head in an affectionate way. "She just gets me."

Aunt May smiled warmly at him and took a bite of her own food. "So, did you two finally finish what you've been working on?"

"I think we have a basic understanding of how her powers work, and we drew up some plans on how to counteract them," Peter explained. "That way the Avengers can at least develop a game plan before going after her."

Tony wriggled in his chair happily as he scarfed down the food. "Game plan, ridiculous harebrained scheme, not-so-maniacal approach, whatever you want to call it. I'm thinking a good little shock straight to the nervous system will be enough to hold our friend long enough for us to stick her with a horse tranquilizer."

Aunt May's eyebrows shot upward, and she moved to clean off the lenses of her glasses. Peter swallowed thickly, an uncomfortable feeling churning its way into his stomach. "You're going to electrocute and then drug her? Is that really the best way to play this?"

Tony shrugged, "Well, I'm working on rewiring some high powered tasers, and it was Natasha's idea to put her down until we can clap on the cuffs. Easier to handle a prisoner when they can't fight back."

"What are you going to do with her?" May asked, clearly feeling as uneasy as Peter.

The billionaire took one last bite and set down his fork, "We're going to find out where she's been for the past ten years, and how she got caught up in working for the Mafia. If she's as bad as I think she is, then we'll send her to the raft. It might appease Ross, and get him off of my back about Cap and the others. He still thinks I'm hiding them."

Peter could practically feel his hackles rise. "Woah, the raft? She doesn't belong there!"

"Kid, where do you think they send super villains?" He asked with a furrowed brow, "Disneyland?"

He stood up and paced, running his fingers through his hair. "I just don't think that's what she is, Tony. Something else is going on here. Like Wanda, I don't know if she deserves to be locked up in a floating prison."

Before Tony could continue arguing with Peter, his phone rang. He gave the teenager one last _we're not done talking about this_ Look before answering. "Happy, my man, talk to me." Tony nodded, "Alright, I'll meet you there." He stood up from his stool and tossed his empty take-out box in their trash, "I've gotta run, Pep's not able to hold off this video conference any longer. She's amazing, but apparently you can only ghost the president of China for so long before he starts taking it personally."

Peter chewed on his bottom lip, still not feeling comfortable with what the Avengers were planning. Tony slung as arm around his shoulder, tucking him in close. "Listen, kid, everything is going to be fine. We've got it covered. As soon as I finish my little wristwatch of destruction, we'll handle the she-demon."

The billionaire waved to Aunt May from the doorway, "Thanks for dinner, May." Tony pulled Peter in for a hug, who immediately reciprocated, feeling a little better at the contact. "You've got two more days of hanging out in the dog-house before you can go out as Spider-Man, don't blow this. F.R.I.D.A.Y. will know."

Tony ruffled Peter's hair one last time before slipping out the door. Peter couldn't help but smile after him. _Of course_ he set up a security system around the apartment, it was just like Tony to make sure he couldn't sneak out early. Oh well, anything was better than him taking the suit away.

He just had to make it two more days…

XX

The moment Alex laid her eyes on the first functioning piece of alien tech; she knew she was in trouble.

Alex stood beside Luca, Marco, and Angelo in the underground warehouse as the Tinkerer showed off the weapon to her father. The walls were littered with a faint purple glow echoing off of the gun, and she tried to ignore the heavy layer of ice that had settled within her bloodstream. What the Genovese family was doing was more dangerous than anything they had been involved in before, and she was more conflicted than ever.

"Explain the features, would you?" Her father asked in a smooth tone, but Alex could hear the underlying excitement growing behind it.

The Tinkerer flipped up his goggles and gave the Boss a giddy smile, before pointing at different pieces of the weapon. "This setting here completely obliterates the target, a design I came up with during my last operation, but it was confiscated by the Avengers. I decided to kick it up a notch and give it a few more enhancements too. This button hear shoots ten thousand volts of electricity, and this one here…"

He went on like that for a few more seconds before moving onto the next two weapons, a gauntlet that combusted, similar to Alex's ability to manipulate fire within her palm, and a device that sounded at a certain frequency level that is used to paralyze opponents. The Tinkerer held it up carefully, "I got the idea for this one from Tony Stark himself. They never mass produced the product, but my records show to Obadiah Stane carried one before he was killed, and I thought it might come in handy."

Her father's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas, "Anything we can use to undermine the great Tony Stark is useful. Someday soon, I'll have his scrawny little neck between my fingers."

Alex swallowed and tried not to react. It was no secret that out of everyone, the Boss hated Iron Man the most. Actually, hate was too passive of a word...Joey _abhorred_ the man. He had these wild fantasies that Alex would dismantle his armor piece by piece, and then pin him down so that the billionaire would be at the Boss' mercy. Joey would go off on these tangents that would range from hoping for a slow, painful death, to blowing up the Avengers compound so that everything would be taken care of in one blow.

She was quite bored with her father's obsession, to say the least. Alex didn't have anything against Iron Man personally, but she could keep up appearances as well as anyone.

"I want four hundred of these weapons by October twelfth." Joey announced casually, setting down the gun again.

The Tinkerer straightened in his seat, "Wait, that's only two weeks away!"

The Boss gave him a little smirk, "Congratulations, you have grasped the idea of time." He placed both hands in his suit pants pockets, "You have all of the resources you need, and Shadowbreath has retrieved every piece of scrap metal and busted alien tech that you requested."

He leaned into the chubby man's personal space, "Four hundred weapons ready by the due date, or I'll have Shadowbreath show you what happens to those who don't hold up their end of the bargain. Her father turned around slowly, raising an expectant eyebrow in her direction.

She took the hint and stepped forward, calling fire to her palms in an instant. After a second of concentration, the bright yellow glow evolved into a white-hot flame, with hints of blue outlining the dancing element. Alex also focused her energy beneath her feet, causing the ground to shake around them. Nothing major, just enough to get the message across.

The Tinkerer's face paled, and she could see the sweat now seeping from his pores. "O-October twelfth, You got it!"

At her father's nod, she released her hold on the elements and stepped back into line.

"I-I-i just need one more thing…." he sputtered nervously.

The Boss cocked his head, "Oh really, and what is that?"

The Tinkerer licked his lips, "If I'm to mass produce these weapons, I need a new power source. I would just make another one, but that's going to take some time. And I already know where we can find one."

"Out with it, what do you need?"

The corners of the man's mouth curled upwards, sending a chill up Alex's spine. "An Arc Reactor. And I know someone who leaves a couple lying around..."


	11. Chapter 11

**Note: Happy Monday! **

**Thank you to everyone who has commented/favorited/followed this story. **

**Chapter 11**

"No. No, of course that clause can't be changed, or removed, or whatever you leeches are trying to do with it." Tony shot back, his fist clenched. He leaned back in his leather chair and glared at the holographic participants of the meeting.

Ross clicked his tongue and tapped his tablet with a pen. "I can't allow the Avengers free reign in any case, no matter how dire the situation is. That kind of power has to be contained!"

A few murmurs of agreement settled around the table, but Tony picked up on a few side-eye glances in Ross' direction. _Interesting_, not everyone agreed with the power-hungry Secretary. Good to know.

"I'm sorry, I think you are forgetting a little alien invasion that happened a few years ago? The world needs 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' to protect it against threats that could wipe out the entire human race." Tony narrowed his eyes, driving the point home. "Because of your original terms, the Avengers are scattered, and Earth is at risk. _Again_. It's only a matter of time before some monster or alien race comes to threaten us again. When that happens, you need us. Together. And I can guarantee you that the Avengers won't even consider signing unless the Accords have the highlighted reforms."

"You want us to trust a couple of war criminals?" Ross argued.

Tony rolled his eyes, blatantly ignoring the painful churning in his stomach as he thought about Steve. "I still can't believe you made Captain America a War Criminal, for christ's sake. Whose brilliant idea was that? Barnes didn't plant the bomb, and you know it. If you want us _all_, you will need to agree to drop all charges against my team." The holographic board members fidgeted in their chairs, clearly uncomfortable. _Good_. "We can agree to play by the world's rules when it makes sense to, but the second humanity is threatened, we reserve the right to protect Earth as we see fit. The Avengers do not answer to one country's government, and that's something you _all_ need to understand."

He pointed to his tablet, highlighting the specific clause that would allow the Avengers to be what they were always meant to be. "Either you agree to this, along with the other reforms, or you will be powerless when the next disaster comes. You need us, and we are willing to work with you." Tony gave them his best _Tony Stark _smile, "Do the right thing here, gentleman."

XX

Peter stepped out of the elevator, looking around for Tony. The billionaire had sent Peter a text late last night telling him that Happy would be waiting to pick him up at the apartment at eight am sharp. Apparently he wanted Peter at the compound this morning for some reason.

"Er, Tony?" He asked hesitantly, walking through the dining room into the kitchen.

Pepper and Tony were toasting their champagne flutes filled with what looked like mimosas when Peter found them. The billionaire had dark circles under his eyes, like he went thirty-six hours without sleep...again. However, despite his obvious exhaustion, he had a bright twinkle in his eye, and he was smiling brightly at Pepper. When they turned to see Peter, both of their faces lit up even more. Seeing them made something within his chest blossom with thrumming warmth. He decided he liked it when they looked at him like that.

"There you are kid! Get over here, we're celebrating!" Tony gestured for Peter to come close, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Pepper leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek, causing Peter to flush. He really liked Pepper, and she had been calling him every other day to check in to see how he was doing.

"What's all this about?" He asked, leaning into Tony's touch.

Pepper and Tony grinned at each other again, "Last night, Tony was able to finally, _finally_ get the United Nations' approval to move forward on the Sokovia Accords reforms that we've been pushing for the past four months."

Peter furrowed his brow, "what kind of reforms?"

Tony took a swig of his drink, Peter still tucked underneath his arm. "Alright, bullet points. Basically, The Avengers will still operate under the supervision of the United Nations, but will be granted certain liberties and powers when it comes to otherworldly threats, or when something big and bad comes to town that is outside of the government's capabilities." He smirked and shook his head, "the language keeps the people happy, but we are still our own team. We can make our own decisions and judgment calls, as long as there is evidence to back it up. There are a few other reforms, but that's the big ticket item."

Pepper motioned for them to follow her into the living room where she sat on one end of the couch and tucked her feet under her. Tony cuddled next to her, and Peter took the loveseat across from them. She downed the rest of her mimosa and set it on the coffee table. "Of course, we still have at least six more months of hearings and debates to endure, but at least the language is in place. Hopefully that means the Avengers in hiding will be pardoned within the next few weeks."

Peter's eyebrows flew above his hairline. "How is that possible? Aren't they war criminals now?"

Tony blew out a breath, "Technically, yes. But part of the deal for us to consider signing the Accords was to drop the charges. They weren't happy about it, but it was either that, or we wouldn't cooperate at all."

"And nobody wants that." Natasha drawled as she swept into the room, her own champagne glass in her hand. Instead of taking either of the free loungers around the room, she nudged Peter to scoot over. His face flushed again as she curled an arm around his shoulders and started running her fingers through his hair. Huh, that was actually really nice. "It will be good to have them back. Clint's been getting cabin fever. I heard Scott even did a little remodel of his house just to occupy his time."

"If we play our cards right, Legolas and Tic Tac will be busted out by Rhodey's birthday." Tony grinned, but Peter could tell his mind was somewhere else. He guessed the billionaire had mixed feelings about the potential return of Captain America and the Winter Soldier.

James Rhodes chose that moment to stroll in, depositing himself on the couch Tony and Pepper shared and laying his head across their laps while his bionic legs hung off the armrest. "That would be a mighty fine birthday present, if you ask me."

Peter swallowed thickly, "Do-do you think they will be mad at me?" He asked quietly, the prospect of meeting the rest of the Avengers suddenly didn't seem like such a great idea.

The adults stared owlishly at him, and Natasha pulled him closer. "Why would you ask that, маленький паук?"

He shrugged, "I mean last time I saw any of them, I kind of fought against them."

Tony snorted and waved him off, "Kid, that's water under the bridge. If they are going to be mad at anyone, it will be me. I kind of formed the dream team to take them down. And then sent them to a floating prison." His tone was flippant, but his gaze was weary, as if the thought of facing his friends again made the billionaire uncomfortable.

Pepper must have caught on as well, because she leaned over to kiss Tony's cheek. "And once you realized your mistake, the security systems on the Raft just _happened_ to be disabled long enough for them to escape."

Tony smirked, and finished off his glass as well. "I still don't know what you're talking about. I would never use my genius for evil. Breaking criminals out of a jail is completely unacceptable in the eyes of the law."

The group chuckled, but Peter was still nervous. What if they didn't like him because he was so young? Or maybe they just didn't like Spider-Man? What if Captain America decided that Peter couldn't hang out in the Avengers compound anymore? The thought of receiving a disapproving glare from Steve Rogers made his stomach drop, despite his own feelings towards the man.

The billionaire stopped whatever story he was in the middle of, obviously sensing Peter's growing distress. "Hey, kid." He called softly, breaking the teenager out of his spiraling thoughts. "They are going to love you, I promise. It's kind of impossible not to." Tony winked, and the other three adults hummed their agreement, causing Peter's cheeks to warm up. Their confidence made him feel a bit better, and knowing Tony would be there for him made the prospect of meeting the rest of the Avengers a little less terrifying.

Xx

"...and then, and then he brings a boxful of strawberries!" Pepper tells him in between fits of laughter.

Peter grabs the side of his face, shaking his head in disbelief. "But that's literally the only thing you're allergic to!"

She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, snorting. "I know! Tony has a hard time remembering details about people...but we love him all the same."

The teenager tried to hide his grin, but to no avail. After a long, incredible afternoon of playing video games with Natasha and Rhodey, Pepper had taken him out to dinner while the rest of the team was busy. Tony was making the finishing touches on the wrist cuffs for Alex, as well as the high-powered taser. Widow and War Machine (Iron Patriot, _whatever_) were preparing for the mission set to bring her in later tonight.

"Rather then remembering small things about you, he'll make sure your armor is in the best possible shape, or that your car is equipped with every safety feature known to man. He's an engineer at heart, so when he builds you something, that's how you know he really cares."

Throughout dinner, Peter was able to really see why Tony was so in love with Pepper. She was strong, independent, brilliant, and a _total knockout._ She took her job as CEO very seriously, and it was clear within the first ten minutes that literally no one else could do it as well as Pepper does. He wasn't sure why they hadn't tied the knot just yet. Peter made a mental note to ask Tony later about it.

"So, he really was different after Afghanistan?" He asked tentatively. Anytime he asked about it, Tony just waved him off and told him that Google would tell him the whole story. The women, the drugs, the weapons. But Peter didn't want to hear about all of that from the eyes of the media, he wanted a first person account of how Tony grew into the person Peter saw as his hero.

Pepper nodded with a sad smile on her face. "He was a different man when he came home. We all thought he was experiencing a form of PTSD, which he _was_, but that his decision to end the weapons manufacturing was a result of a changed mental state. Turns out, he was doing the right thing, and he suddenly had this..._light_ within him. He wanted to make up for his past sins, and help as many people as he could. After Obadiah...well, he took on so much. That's why Iron Man is so special to him. Tony's trying to do good after a lifetime of being…well, _Tony Stark_."

The teenager stared at the expression on Pepper's face. It was a mix of sorrow, understanding, pride, and utmost love. There was no doubt in Peter's mind that she was completely head over heels for Tony, but in a way that showed how she really, truly knew him. All of the good and bad.

"I'm really happy that he has you. You two seem to really love each other." He told her quietly, unable to help himself. He wanted to hear more about this Obadiah person, but he got the feeling that this wasn't the time or place to ask.

She placed a hand over Peter's and squeezed, "I think so too. Things have changed, but for the better. Tony is all I've ever had, and I love him with every fiber of my being." She took a deep breath and continued. "For a while, I was all Tony had too. Now, Rhodey is around more, and he joined the Avengers. He has all of them to look after him. A family to love him in a way that he never experienced with his own parents. And now, he has you too."

Peter blushed and looked down. "I don't know about that, Mr. Stark doesn't really _need_ me. I'm not a part of this Avengers family, not really. I mean I know he cares about me, but I'm sure when you two have your own family, things will change. I-I know it's coming. I'm just trying to enjoy having this while I can."

The hand over Peter's squeezed again, imploring him to meet her gaze. It was fierce and bright, "Peter, sweetheart, Tony does need you. He won't say it much, but you mean _so_ much to him. He really loves you. He considers you part of the family. I do too. I hope you know that. And…well, I think maybe you should know something."

Pepper took a deep breath and continued. "Remember how we told you about the virus Extremis? Well, it…well, something happened. Turns out, the virus didn't blend well with my uterus." She smiled sadly at Peter's confused look. "Basically it means that Tony and I can't have children. When I told him…he was understandably upset. I don't think he realized how much he wanted to be a father until then. We moved past it, of course, because we love each other, and would be able to consider other options if we decided it was something we both wanted to pursue. And then…and then the world needed the Avengers more and more. Loving a child as our own didn't seem to be in the cards for us. But, but then you came into our lives, Peter. You are such an incredible kid, and I know both of us want to make sure you are happy and well taken care of. Tony needs you more than you could possibly know, please don't doubt that."

Suddenly, he found it impossible to breathe. It was so much to take in, and he felt a hollow sadness within him as he thought about how much Pepper and Tony had lost. But…here she was, telling him that she loved him, and that his hero did too? These two incredible people considered him part of their family, and Peter didn't know what to do with the sudden weight of the implications of that. They couldn't have children of their own, and Peter knew he couldn't live up to whatever expectations they were sure to have. Tony was a genius, and one of the Earth's greatest defenders. Pepper was a brilliant and powerful CEO. It was impossible to wrap his head around the fact that they could want anything to do with a kid from Queens who could stick to walls.

"I-I don't...I'm not…" He couldn't find a way to express what he was feeling.

Pepper stood up from her spot across from him, and scooted over so that she was next to him in the booth. She cupped his cheek with one hand, and kept hold of his other. "Peter, you are so, _so_ special. Tony talks about you all of the time, and he is so beyond proud of you. He's never been like that with anyone else. We think the world of you, and I hope you know that you can come to us with anything. We really do love you."

He couldn't help himself. Peter had only heard those words from Aunt May and Uncle Ben, the people who took him in after his parents died. Now Uncle Ben was gone, and he was left with this gaping hole in his heart, one that craved and wished for parental love and support. Aunt May was all he had, and he adored her. But hearing Pepper say that she and Tony were proud of him? That they loved him like part of an actual family? It was overwhelming in a way he wasn't prepared for. They didn't need him, not really. They had no obligation to him. And yet they were willingly choosing to include him in their lives.

Peter flung himself into her arms, and hummed when she squeezed him tightly. "I-I love you both too." He could feel her smile against his hair, and she leaned back a few inches to kiss his forehead before tightening her grip on him again.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but Peter soaked in every second of love and attention she was willing to give him.

Xx

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Peter asked hopefully, itching to rush back downstairs to grab his suit.

War Machine (_Iron Patriot, UGH_), Black Widow, and Iron Man were suited up and ready to depart in the Quinjet hangar. Pepper had left after dinner to finish up some work at SI, so he would be left by himself. Tony's faceplate was opened, and he smirked at the teenager. "I'm sure, kiddo. You stay here, and just be ready for when we come back. The interrogation room is all set up, but I want you to keep your comms on in case we need something while we're out."

Peter nodded, a little deflated. Spider-Man could help bring Shadowbreath in, but obviously the Avengers had it covered. Natasha stepped forward to ruffle his hair, "We'll be back soon, маленький паук." Rhodey held out his fist, and Peter reluctantly bumped it against his own.

F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s voice sounded over the intercom, "Boss, there are currently two situations across town that require the Avenger's attention. One involves a high rise in Long Island that has caught fire containing at least thirty trapped civilians, and the other is a major break-in at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I detect evidence of a potential Mafia connection."

Tony swore, and clicked his faceplate down. "Rhodey, you and I will go to the building and do search and rescue. Widow, take a dozen of your SHIELD agents to the Met. If you find Shadowbreath, call the others and _do not engage_ until the rest of us are with you."

Natasha nodded without another word, turning on her heel and rushing into the Quinjet. Rhodey took off in his suit, and Iron Man waited half a second after he was gone before turning to Peter. "Do not leave the compound, Peter. Do you understand?"

He swallowed, wanting nothing more than to break out his suit and jump into the fray. He wanted to help, and he needed to ensure that Tony stayed safe. After dinner with Pepper, Peter had decided that he would never let anything happen to either of them. His heart wouldn't be able to take it if he lost another person that he loved.

But Tony was asking him to stay, and he couldn't risk leaving the compound and something happening here when they needed him. "Yeah, I understand."

"Good answer." Iron Man stepped forward tap his gauntlet under Peter's chin affectionately before powering up his thrusters and soaring out the open hangar door. Peter ran toward the wall, keeping plenty of space between him and the Quinjet as it hovered in place for a moment and left just as quickly as Iron Man did.

Well, now he was alone, and the idea of sitting here useless sounded just as appealing as it did a second ago.

Peter ran a hand through his hair, a nervous tick he couldn't help but pick up from Tony, and made his way back to the elevator. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., can you take me back to my room?"

"Of course, Mr. Parker."

He grimaced, "Can you just stick with Peter? Mr. Parker seems a little too formal now. I mean, we're friends, right?"

There was a slight pause. "Yes, Peter, I believe we are friends. However, I would like to remind you that Boss has requested your presence here on the premises. I will have to advise against following the Avengers as Spider-Man." As if on queue, the elevator doors opened to his floor. At least she wasn't being subtle about it.

"Yeah yeah…" He muttered, emptying the contents of his backpack onto the bed. Peter laid out his suit neatly, _just in case_, and grabbed his physics homework and took it to his desk. He lasted about twenty minutes before he had to stand up and pace the length of his room. "Ugh, F.R.I.D.A.Y., connect me to the Avengers' comms, please. I need to know what's happening."

"Of course, Peter."

He heard a slight click, and then Rhodey's voice was blasting through the speakers of his room. "Sixth floor is clear. Heading to the seventh now. Tones?"

Iron Man's voice came out strong, and it calmed Peter's nerves a bit. Tony was fine. "We're clear on fifteen and upwards. Heading to fourteen. We'll meet in the middle."

"I hope you boys are keeping cool over there." Natasha said, and Peter could hear the slight smirk in her voice. "My S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are surrounding the perimeter. This will only last maybe half an hour."

"Any sign of the demon girl yet?" Tony asked, frantic screams could be heard in the background.

"Nega-"

Natasha's answer was cut off by F.R.I.D.A.Y., "Peter, there is a disturbance on the lower levels. Possible break-in."

Peter was flying towards his suit in no time at all. "Who's trying to break in? Where are they?" As soon as he had tugged off his shirt and pants, and slipped into the suit, only falling over twice in the process.

"The alarm surrounding Boss' lab on the basement level has been triggered four separate times."

He rushed towards the elevator, "Send me down, F.R.I.D.A.Y." The doors closed as soon as he stepped inside, and he tried not to shudder as his spidey senses shot a chill down his spine.

"Kid? What's going on over there?" Tony grunted into his ear, a little out of breath.

Peter jumped, almost forgetting that he was tuned into the Avenger's comm network, now through his suit. "Someone's breaking into your lab. I'm headed down now to stop them."

"It was a setup." Natasha swore immediately. "I'm headed back now, my agents can handle the Met."

When the doors opened up to Tony's lab, Peter froze momentarily.

"Kid? Keep them busy. Black Widow is headed your way, Rhodey and I will be coming as soon as the building is clear." Iron Man sounded a little frantic, but Peter wasn't really listening.

Shadowbreath was standing ten feet from him in the same lazy stance as the first time they met, with her arms crossed and a frown set on her face. "You're not supposed to be here, Spider-Man." Behind her were three men in the same military armor he had seen at the Industrial district, all of whom were spread around the lab, destroying every piece of technology they could get their hands on. In the middle of everything was a gaping hole in the center of Tony's marble flooring.

Tony was going to be _so pissed_.

"No no no no no! I'm not supposed to be here? You guys are the ones breaking and entering!" Peter jumped into action before Shadowbreath could continue their conversation, not willing to risk anything else getting broken. He shot webs towards the men's legs, wrapping them up and sticking them to the floor in three consecutive shots. His spidey sense went off, and he dove to the left, narrowly avoiding a whip of flames. Peter quickly returned to his feet, sending a string of webbing towards Shadowbreath's legs as well before aiming towards her arms. He rushed around her, trying to wrap the Enhanced as quickly as he could while avoiding the giant hole in the ground. Bullets still rained towards him from the three intruders, and he only just missed the random bursts of surging air slicing _way _to close to his face.

Finally, he released his grip on her and tried to think. Why were they breaking into Tony's lab? What did they want? Peter groaned when she smirked at him, still completely tied up. "Orders are orders. Didn't you learn your lesson last time?" She closed her eyes, in what was probably concentration, because a second later her entire body was engulfed in flames. Her hair whipped wildly above her head in a mini tornado, and Peter could practically smell the webbing dissolve. Alex, Shadowbreath, _whatever_, was absolutely terrifying.

She shot quick bursts of controlled flames to the men laying down, releasing them as well. Before Peter could get ahold of them again, she got into his personal space and threw a rapid succession of punches. "I'm surprised to see you up and moving. I thought I hit you pretty hard last time." His spidey sense kept him moving, so he dodged most of them, but he was distracted with trying to catch whatever the men were trying to find. She spun around to land a kick, but he caught her leg and threw her across the lab.

"Enhanced healing and all that jazz. It comes in handy sometimes!"

Shadowbreath was quick though, because she spun in the air expertly and landed perfectly poised like a cat. She opened her palms and another fire whip materialized before his eyes. "Looks like the Avengers took good care of you. You've got all the bells and whistles."

_Shit_. Peter wasn't exactly out of breath, but he was trying to keep them busy until the others could show up. That was becoming increasingly difficult since they wouldn't just freaking _stay down _like nice little criminals. "About that, why did you leave me alive back there?"

She lashed out, causing him to duck and dive around the room to avoid getting burned. That hurt like hell last time. He tried to keep track of the three men, randomly sending out bursts of webbing to slow them down, but Shadowbreath just kept releasing them with well-placed cracks of her whip. "You didn't deserve to die." Her voice was barely a whisper, but his enhanced hearing picked it up.

"T minus two minutes to your position, Spider-Man." Natasha told him through the comms.

Finally, Peter had _enough _of this game. He dipped behind one of Tony's workbenches and kicked, _hard_, sending it flying across the room and colliding with one of the men. Shadowbreath just leaped over it effortlessly, still smirking.

_Wait_. Where did the other two guys go? Peter scanned the lab, but sure enough, only Shadowbreath and one man, who was now unconscious on the other side of the bench, were left. His eyes flickered towards the hole in the ground.

Shit.

Shadowbreath seemed to realize his line of thinking too, because she positioned herself between the only available exit and Peter. "Sorry, can't let you follow them. Boss' orders." She called out, the whip still sizzling between her palms.

"Because that's what you do, right? Follow orders? Even if they could get innocent people hurt." He asked, his tone far from friendly. His temper was waning dramatically after losing sight of two of his targets. Peter webbed across the lab, trying and failing to get an open shot into the hole, but he kept getting blocked by white-hot fire or bursts of pressurized air.

The elevator sprung open, and Black Widow rolled out, unloading her weapon towards Shadowbreath. "Great, now there are two of you." Shadowbreath somehow evaded every single shot, but her cool and calm demeanor was now upturned. Her jaw was set, and she let out a steady string of curses as she lashed out towards both opponents.

After dodging another painfully hot fireball, Peter saw Shadowbreath's eyes flicker towards the open hole, debating her decision within a half-second. There was no way she would make it, not with both Spider-Man and Black Widow boxing her in.

Peter tried to communicate to Natasha what was about to happen, that they had run out of time to follow the bad guys, but he wasn't quick enough. All he got out before a heavy rumbling beneath their feet knocked them off balance was a, "Watch out!"

Shadowbreath had her feet planted against the marble; one hand raised upwards still deflecting attacks from her opponents, while the other swept across her body, flickering above the floor and towards the hole in the ground. She closed her fist, and Peter watched as it filled up in the blink of an eye, closing off Natasha's advances to follow after whoever had disappeared down it.

All three of them were silent for half a second, and Peter met her dark brown eyes. They were hard, and she was trying too hard to keep the emotion off of her face. She wasn't nearly as good at keeping it hidden as Natasha was. Whatever orders she must have gotten definitely didn't include getting captured by the Avengers.

She was _scared_.

And Peter had the strangest feeling that it wasn't the Avengers that she was scared of.

As if on queue, the elevator doors sprung open to reveal Iron Man and War Machine. Tony didn't waste any time rushing forward and stabbing the rod of his high-powered taser against her abdomen while Spider-Man, Natasha, and War Machine held her down.

To Shadowbreath's credit, she didn't even cry out, despite how much pain she must have been in. Natasha pulled the syringe from her person and jammed the needle into the girl's neck. Within seconds, Shadowbreath was slumped against their hold, completely unconscious.

Peter felt sick. _More _than sick. He released her and flew backwards, landing hard on his butt. The three adults looked back at him, and he shook his head aggressively, holding his hands against the side of his mask.

"W-what happens now?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Note: Happy Friday! This chapter is not so happy, but important!**

**Chapter 12**

Consciousness remained just out of reach as Alex slowly became aware that she wasn't waking up in her bed. Why wasn't she at home? And why did her skin feel like it was on fire? Low voices distracted Alex from her disconnected confusion, and she tried to concentrate so that she would have something to focus on.

"Is she supposed to be out this long? It's been like, eighteen hours…" A man's voice hesitated, annoyed and concerned at the same time.

"She should be waking up anytime now. At least we know now that she doesn't have an advanced healing ability. Cap would have woken up within the first few hours." This time it was a woman who spoke, with barely any inflection whatsoever.

She was becoming aware of herself again, finally. Alex did a quick systems check of her body, trying to see how bad the damage was. She wasn't in any real pain, just a constant state of soreness. Her skin tingled violently under the Vibranium suit, and she had a slight panic attack when she reached for the familiar pull within her gut and found she was grasping at absolutely nothing.

She couldn't use her powers.

Alex felt her hands tied behind her back, strapped to what felt like a chair, and her feet were bound as well. Someone wasn't taking any chances of her escaping. Probably a smart move on their part. But it didn't matter. Her family would come for her. Her father would come for her.

"I know you're awake. Time to face the music." The woman's voice snapped, and Alex swallowed before opening her eyes and lifting her head. She was clearly in some kind of interrogation room, lined with steel barriers and absolutely no trace of organic earth. They had clearly gotten a handle on her powers, then. She repressed a shudder when it suddenly reminded her of The Fold. Alex met the gaze of her captor unflinchingly.

It was the agent from the lab, still dressed in her skintight leather suit. If she had any doubts that this was the infamous Black Widow, they were long gone now. The other man was none other than Tony Stark himself, sporting loose jeans covered in grease stains and a tight fitting tank top. Despite being captured by the enemy, Alex found herself a bit in awe of her situation. Sure, her family had taught her to hate the Avengers growing up, what with them trying to thwart their operations and what not, but that didn't keep her from sneaking their action figures underneath her bed.

The billionaire glared at her, his gaze flickering between caution and pure hatred. She thought that maybe he would get along well with her father, considering the Boss wore that look all too well. "Fucking _finally_. Thanks to you and your band of merry men, I've had to spend that last _day _cleaning up my complete shitstorm of a lab. By the way, what the fuck did you do with my Arc Reactor? Who did you give it to? " He seethed between his teeth.

Alex just blinked at him. Did he really expect her to answer that? Wasn't this guy supposed to be a genius?

"Hey!" Stark snapped his fingers in front of her face, as if making sure that she was listening. "I asked you a question."

She stared at him for half a beat longer and then rolled her eyes. Stark practically growled in frustration, and lunged forward. Black Widow swung her hand to his chest, just left of the soft blue triangle outline. "Cool it." She warned.

Stark was giving Alex an incredulous look. "The little snot just _rolled her eyes_ at me! She really is a..a.._teenager_! One that is in dire need of an attitude adjustment."

"Just leave it to me." Widow implored with a smirk. "I'll get her to talk."

Alex wanted to snort. Good luck with that. She wasn't afraid. Not of the Avengers. If she were to spill her guts now, far worse things would be waiting for her at home.

Stark looked between them for a few seconds before nodding and retreating towards the door. Before he closed it behind him, he pointed to Widow, "Don't be afraid to threaten her with my new favorite toy."

She clicked something off of her belt and fingered it carefully, "I'll keep the taser handy, Stark, now get out." Alex forced herself to keep a straight face when she remembered the electricity taking her down in the lab. Not as powerful as her punishment in The Fold, but no walk in the park either.

Once the door clicked shut, Alex lifted her chin high. "The Avengers have stooped to torturing teenagers, have they?"

If Widow was surprised that Alex had spoken, she didn't show it. "We stoop when getting information out of dangerous enhanced individuals from time to time." She shrugged, "It's part of the job description. Saving the world and all that."

Alex just raised an eyebrow in response.

"So, I assume you don't want to tell us why the Five Families need an arc reactor?" The woman asked, getting comfortable in the chair across the metal table from her and kicking her feet up.

It was Alex's turn to shrug. "Not particularly."

Widow pulled out a butterfly knife and flipping it between her fingers lazily. Alex assumed it was meant to be intimidating, but being afraid of anyone other than her father wasn't really in her nature. "Well, what about explaining to us how you came to work for them in the first place?"

Again, she stayed silent.

The Black Widow stared at her for a long time, and Alex stared straight back, already bored with this game. Finally, the woman dropped her feet back onto the floor and leaned forward. "Since you don't seem particularly interested in the easy questions, how about we try a hard one? Just for fun."

The woman smirked, and Alex began to feel uneasy. "Why don't you tell us what happened ten years ago, Miss Anderson?"

Alex couldn't help it. She flinched at the mention of her given name. Hard.

"Ah, seems as though I've struck a chord." Widow leaned back again in her chair smugly, still playing with her knife. "Didn't think we knew who you were?"

_No_. But she didn't need to know that. Alex carefully set her face back to it's dispassionately bored default setting and blinked at her captor.

Widow didn't seem deterred. "I've seen the footage from that night, you know. I'm just trying to figure out who kidnapped you ten years ago, where you have been, and how you came to work for the Families."

There was footage of that night? How had that happened? And what did Widow mean by kidnapped? The questions flew through her head in the span of a second. Alex couldn't quite decide if the footage was something she was interested in watching. On one hand, maybe she would catch a glimpse of her parents, alive and happy, before the man with the icy blue eyes killed them. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to relive that night. Another possibility was that Widow was lying through her teeth to try and get her to talk. Turns out, they weren't giving her much of a choice.

"Do you know who your parents were, Miss Anderson?"

Alex's brow furrowed together unconsciously. She didn't remember her parents much, more as a distant memory that she desperately tried to block out due to the paid it caused. Joey was her father now, and she had a family that looked after her. But her actual parents…they were gone quite often before everything changed. She remembered staying with the neighbor frequently when they were away.

Widow wasn't smirking anymore. "No? Well if you ask me, it's something you deserve to know. They were scientists. They worked for a secret government agency called The Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. Also known as S.H.I. E.L.D."

She tried to gauge Alex's nonexistent reaction, something she probably had a lot of experience in. "Do you remember what happened to you that night?"

Alex met her unwavering gaze. Of course she knew what happened, she had only been reliving it in her nightmares for the past ten years. She had been sleeping soundly in her bed, when her parents rushed into the room, whispering harshly for her to wake up. Her father bundled her up in his arms, and they ran back towards the door. The man with the icy blue eyes blocked their escape, and suddenly the room was filled with men in those blood red uniforms.

There was some talking, but she was too scared to really listen to what was going on.

Then a shot rang out, and her father dropped to the ground, taking Alex with him. Before she could understand what was happening, she was torn from his nonexistent grasp and those fucking _cuffs _were placed on her wrists, rendering her useless. Like now.

And then…

She didn't want to remember. Her family was dead because of the things she could do. And then she became a part of a new family. End of story. That night was over with, and she could block it out as long as she was conscious. It wasn't right for these people to be bringing it up now, like they knew her or something. They didn't.

Widow nodded curtly. "So you remember. But do you _understand_? I have a feeling you don't have all of the information."

Alex narrowed her eyes. What game was she playing?

She could practically see the wheels turning in the woman's head. Widow suddenly turned toward the one-way glass, mouthing something Alex couldn't see. A few seconds later, Tony Stark reappeared through the doorway, all of the frustration and anger drained from his face.

In fact, he looked almost...nervous. On edge.

Widow returned her gaze to Alex and studied her for a few silent moments. When she spoke again, her tone was gentle. "You told Spider-Man that you weren't the bad guy. That you didn't work for the mob."

The damn Spider. Alex _knew _she shouldn't have talked so much, but she had been too starved for conversation. She didn't have friends, not really. She had people who her father paid to spend time with her. Spider-Man was the only one she actually enjoyed talking to. Too bad they were on opposite sides of this.

"I'm going to ask you a question, Miss Anderson. I want to hear you answer it."

Every time Widow addressed her by her given name, Alex wanted to scream. That wasn't who she was anymore. She wasn't a scared, defenseless child anymore.

Widow and Stark looked at each other once again before she got on with her question. "Did one of the Five Families come for you that night? Is that where you've been?"

Alex wasn't sure why they wanted her to answer this particular question. It sounded like they already knew what she was going to say. For some reason, she decided to play their little game, and gave a short nod.

The woman remained expressionless, but if she looked close enough, Alex could almost perceive a frown on her pretty face. Stark, on the other hand, looked absolutely wrecked. What was that about? "Miss Anderson," Widow continued. "Can you tell me about that night? From your perspective."

Alex guessed that this was a different type of torture. The Avengers were forcing her to relive her worst memories, to bring back the constant nightmares that always threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn't see what their end game was, but decided to answer anyway. Prove to them that she was stronger than they believed her to be.

"Fine." Alex could practically feel their surprise. They hadn't expected her to start talking. "I was six. A few men broke into my house. They killed my parents. They were going to kill me, until another group came in and saved me. My _family _saved me. They came for me, just like they will come for me now. That's a promise."

She got an uneasy pull in her gut as she watched the tenderness and sorrow dance across Stark's face. He was upset about something. What the hell was going on? They weren't taking her warning seriously. "Why are you looking at me like that? I don't need your pity." She bit out, controlling her temper.

Widow leaned forward, still frowning. "You need to know what really happened that night, Alex."

It was the first time anyone had used her shorthand first name in a long, _long _time, and it caught her off guard. She was always _Alexandria_, or _mi figlia_ to her Family. Alex sat back, straightening her shoulders. "I don't know what you mean."

"No, I don't suppose you do." Stark muttered sadly. He dug a phone out of his pocket and flicked it forwards, which sent a holographic screen display to their left. It showed a grainy video, not very good quality. But she would recognize that house from anywhere. She had lived there for six years, after all. A security camera from a neighbor's house had caught the details of the worst night of her life. Emotional torture in its purest form. The Avengers were much crueler than the world believed them to be.

Widow's eyes hadn't left Alex's face. "I don't want to make you watch this. It isn't something someone your age should have to witness. But it's _important_."

Alex didn't understand, and she hated, _hated _being left in the dark. This was their plan to get her to talk? Why would Widow say she didn't want her to watch it? Maybe the woman had more of a heart than people say.

Still, something felt wrong. Very, very wrong.

Stark leaned forward too, barely meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry, but she's right. You need to understand what _really_ happened."

Alex swallowed thickly, and her eyes flickered back to the paused video. It started to play, and her stomach instantly dropped, leaving her empty, cold, and feeling so very, very alone.

Two large grey vans pulled up to the curb of her small, one story house. A group of men dressed in those familiar red uniforms piled out of the first one holding large rifles, and a group in the black uniforms out of the second van. One man from each faction stepped forward and conversed shortly, before the leader of the red uniforms nodded and took his soldiers into the house, breaking down the door and smashing everything in sight.

The security camera had a limited view of her bedroom, but it was enough to see the sudden flashing of lights from gunfire. A few minutes later, the men in black uniforms advanced into the house. More lights could be seen from her room. She saw herself emerge from the house, wrapped in the arms of one of the men in black. Joey. He rushed her into the second van, his soldiers piling in behind them before the driver took off. The men in the red uniforms reappeared exactly two minutes after the van holding Alex drove off. Very much _alive_. They all piled into the van they came in and it peeled away from the curb. All of them. Not _one _of them was left behind.

The police cars and emergency vehicles appeared a few minutes after that. The holoscreen disappeared suddenly, and Stark tucked his phone back into his pocket.

The room was silent, and Alex couldn't have formed a coherent thought even if she tried. All she felt was anguish, betrayal, and pure, white-hot _fury_. She fixed her gaze on the metal table in front of her as if she could burn a hole straight through it, and refused to acknowledge either of the adults in the room. She couldn't...couldn't even think. Couldn't see or understand past the burning sensation threatening to tear her apart piece by piece.

"Alex?" Widow asked, soft and tentative.

Stark didn't seem to know what to do with his hands. She could hear them snapping and fiddling with something, maybe a pen? She didn't know. Didn't care to look.

There was only one explanation that made any sort of sense. The video _had_ to be fake. Her family…her father...they wouldn't have done that. If she believed what the Avengers were trying to show her, then her whole life had been a _lie_. She didn't have a family, and she didn't have a home. Suddenly, she couldn't stand to have Widow and Stark looking at her with those sad eyes. She met their gazes with as much vehemence as she could muster without completely falling apart. "I don't know how you did it, but there's _no way_ that video is real. You're _LYING_. When I get out of here, and I will, I will _end_ you for this."

Widow's thin fingers curled into fists, and she sat down in the lone chair slowly. "Alex, I need you to listen to me very carefully."

She turned her chin to the left, a clear and obvious message that she didn't want to hear anything they had to say.

"When we found out who you were, I looked into you and your parent's case. The NYPD didn't have the resources to find out happened, and they were way out of their depth dealing with two dead S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists." She leaned forward, and Alex instinctually moved away from her. "If you know who I am, then you know that I am very good at digging up long buried information. All of the neighboring security cameras were disabled, but the house across the street was still being built, and the owners were paranoid. After the murder, they dropped the contract of the house quickly, forgetting to pick up their spare camera. The man who finished the house found it, and didn't bother to watch the footage, or sell it at a pawnshop. He left it in a box on the third shelf of his basement storage."

Widow turned to Stark. "Tell her what you did with the footage once I gave it to you."

Alex peeked out at the pair from the corner of her eye.

"Once Agent Romanoff handed me the SD card, the only thing I did was trim out anything that wasn't related to that night and fix the brightness. I swear, Alex, I didn't mess with the actual content." Stark's voice was hard and determined, imploring her to believe him.

She didn't want to. Alex didn't want to even consider the possibility that the video was real. The room was suddenly too crowded, the air suddenly too thick. She couldn't breath, and her captors were still watching her carefully. All she wanted to do was be alone. "Leave." She spit out, surprising herself with how clear and steady her voice sounded. When neither of the adults moved, she repeated herself, this time channeling all of her fury and heartbreak, now turning to face them fully. "_Leave_!"

They left.

And she was alone with her thoughts.

XX

**Note: Thank you to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed this story so far. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Note: Happy Monday all **

**Chapter 13**

When the door to the interrogation room shut behind him, the sharp sound seemed to reverberate endlessly throughout the wide hallway that led to the large circular room where everyone else waited.

Tony rubbed at his face, not quite ready to face the others. Natasha had paused as well, turning to carefully gauge his reaction. "She really didn't know, did she?"

He snapped his hands into the air, suddenly furious at Alex's circumstances. "Of course she didn't know! Did you see her face? Those fuckers _murdered_ her goddamn family, and then tricked her into thinking they were the _good guys_! They've been using her from the beginning!" Tony ran his fingers through his unruly hair, slightly pulling from the roots. "I just can't...she thought...they _used_ her, made her think they _loved_ her..." He trailed off, unable to continue with coherent words. The situation drudged up far too many memories of Obie…no, _Stane,_ that should have been long buried.

Natasha leaned up against the wall, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. "Peter was right, Tony. Alex Anderson isn't our enemy. She's a victim. One that we need to protect."

He nodded, relieved that they had reached the same conclusion. The girl sitting in the interrogation room was just a scared, sixteen year old kid whose whole world just came crashing down around her. She needed the Avengers, despite what her past might look like. He wasn't sure he had the heart anymore to turn someone like that away. Maybe before, but Peter's influence was like a kick to the gut. Tony wouldn't be able to just walk away from this, even if he wanted to. Whatever happened, whatever she had done, it wasn't her fault. The poor girl had been manipulated in the worst way possible.

Natasha kicked off from the wall and headed towards the others in a purposeful stride, and Tony took a steadying breath before following. Rhodey and Fury stood a few feet apart waiting for them, with their arms crossed in similar fashions. Peter, on the other hand, was glued to the flat screen that displayed Alex. She was still bound to the chair, her gaze continuing to burn a hole through the metal table in front of her. The room's light reflected off of her tear-stained streaks. Tony made sure to focus on anything and everything that wasn't the feed.

Fury stepped forward, his one good eye narrowed. "What's your read on the Enhanced, Agent Romanoff?"

"Thanks to Stark's cuffs, she's neutralized for now. No word on the stolen Arc Reactor, but we have confirmation that the Five Families were involved." Natasha lowered herself onto the armrest of one of the couches positioned around the room. "As you can probably infer, Miss Anderson seemed to have a misunderstanding of the events that transpired the night of her kidnapping."

Peter turned to watch them, his gaze instantly finding Tony's. The look on the kid's face was almost enough to have him crossing the distance between them and crushing Peter's small frame against his chest in a sudden need to provide comfort, but he managed to stay where he was. They could talk about this later. "I think 'misunderstanding' is a bit of an understatement, don't you?" The kid's voice wavered in barely controlled anger.

Fury's jaw clicked in an attempt to ignore Peter. "I don't care what tactics you need to use, find out who she gave the arc reactor to, and what they plan to use it for. The sharp progression of the Families' criminal activity over the past few months is disconcerting to say the least, and I want to know what they plan on using all of this alien technology for."

After a sharp look from Natasha, Tony was able to stop himself from biting back at Fury's words. He shouldn't be surprised that the big bad spy would care more about the mission than a teenage pawn, but it still pissed him off.

"She needs a little time." Romanoff reasoned. "To think about what we told her. She won't talk if we go barging back in there."

Fury was silent for a few moments while he considered, and Tony's clenched and unclenched his fists while he waited. Finally, the Director nodded his agreement silently and spun around on his heel, heading towards the door with what Tony liked to describe as dramatic flare.

Rhodey blew out a loud breath and shook his head. "Damn. That's really messed up, man. She's got like, all three of your backgrounds all rolled into one."

Natasha, Tony, and Peter just stared at him, blinking hard until Rhodey held up his hands in defense. "I, uh, sorry. It was just an observation."

The kid huffed a little, and crossed his arms over his chest. "What are we going to do?"

"She was telling the truth, they will come for her." Natasha warned. "If she's that important to their operation, then they won't stay away for long."

Tony chewed on the inside of his cheek, anxiously snapping his fingers together. "I say we've got at least a week. They won't just come barging into the Avengers compound. The Families aren't stupid." He let out a humorless laugh, "Well, they are if they think they are going to get away with what they did to her."

Peter moved to stand next to Tony, both of them relaxing just a hair when the other was in proximity. "Can I talk to her?"

Rhodey gave him a look, "Kiddo, you can't just go in and show your face when she's only met you as Spider-Man. You have a secret identity for a reason."

The kid shrugged, "I mean we know who she is. It's only fair, right?"

Tony shook his head, "Nope, no way. She's still dangerous. I don't want you talking to her until we know that she's no longer a threat."

"I can go in as Spider-Man. She needs to talk to _someone_, Tony. You guys basically just ruined her life, we can't just leave her alone right now."

"I think Peter is right," Natasha said, blatantly ignoring the frustrated glare Tony was shooting in her direction. "Grab your suit, then you can go in."

Peter's eyebrows shot up, turning towards the billionaire as if asking permission to listen to Natasha. Good, at least the kid knew who really called the shots here. (Thank goodness Agent Romanoff couldn't read his thoughts) Tony didn't like it, but he wasn't sure what else to do right now, so he shrugged. "Fine, but you will not take off the mask, do you hear me?" He leaned forward, pointing a finger at Peter. "I'm serious, Pete, the mask stays on or I'm taking you back to May."

The kid swallowed thickly before nodding and running back towards the elevator. When the doors closed, Tony rubbed at his face in exhaustion. He looked back and forth between Rhodey and Natasha, grimacing. "I don't know what to do here, guys."

The Colonel clapped a hand against his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "Let's see how the kid does, Tones. He might not be an Avenger, but he's got the best chance out of all of us at getting Anderson to talk."

"We'll see."

XX

Alex barely registered the light knock at the interrogation room door. Someone slipped through, and she lifted her gaze to see who her visitor was. To see what life-ruining bomb they wanted to drop on her this time. She desperately wished that her hands weren't bound, so she could wipe off the tears that had stained her cheeks. The red and blue spandex suit was instantly recognizable, but the haze that had settled over her mind just left her staring absentmindedly.

"Uh, hi." His voice was quiet and tentative, as if he were afraid of how she would react.

Probably a smart move.

She didn't respond, just blinked at him lazily. Her body felt heavy, weighed down by the implications of the video Stark showed her. It was all too much to process, the onslaught of betrayal and brokenness rising steadily like slow crests of the ocean beating against a desolate beach.

"Shadowbreath?" He sounded watered down, and she couldn't bring herself to focus quite yet, though she tried. "Alex?" The sound of her name was finally enough to snap her back into reality long enough to realize that Spider-Man was hovering on the other side of the table.

She met his gaze, and he took a seat across from her. "What do you want?" She could hear how flat and empty her voice sounded, but couldn't bring herself to care.

Spider-Man wriggled in his seat uncomfortably. "I just thought maybe you would want to talk. I watched them show you the video."

Alex flinched, her body suddenly rigid.

"You d-don't have to," He sputtered out quickly, "but the Avengers aren't going to hurt you. I don't think you're the enemy here, not after you left me alive in the Industrial district. I just thought maybe you would need a friend right now."

She narrowed her eyes at him, a low rumble settling deep within her throat. Confusion and heartache quickly turn to rage, and her voice was low and dangerous when she spoke. "A _friend_? Is that what you think you are? Just because I didn't _kill you_ doesn't mean that you mean _anything_ to me." She had just found out that her entire life was a complete and utter lie. The man who killed her parents was most likely alive and well, and the people she had grown to think of as family had manipulated her so that they could use her as a fucking weapon. And this...this _do-gooder_ was taking pity on her, and thought she wanted a _friend_?

Well he wasn't entirely wrong. A friend was exactly what she could use right now. But she wasn't a fucking charity case.

Spider-Man shrugged, "Well...I mean I know that. But, but..." He took a deep breath, "I didn't want you to be alone." Alex tore her gaze away from him, instead going back to staring a hole through the table and trying to swallow past the sudden lump in her throat.

"I-I know a little bit about what it's like to lose your family, to feel like you have nobody left in your corner. To be alone...I just want to help."

Alex grit her teeth, flexing her sore wrists. She didn't really know what to think. Or what she wanted. Maybe he knew a little bit about what she was feeling. Okay, he hit the damn nail on the head, but that didn't change the fact that Spider-Man couldn't help her now. No one could. The corners of her eyes stung, and Alex shook her head to push away the feeling. "Leave me alone."

Instead of listening to her, Spider-Man just lazily kicked his feet up onto the table. The jerk.

"I don't think I want to do that. I don't think you do either. I mean we didn't even get to geek out about our favorite shows during our fight yesterday."

She looked up at him incredulously. "Are you kidding me right now?"

He seemed to have gotten an idea, because he shot up out of his seat, surprising her. Before she could ask what his problem was, Spider-Man rushed out of the interrogation room, leaving her alone. Well...she did ask for that, didn't she? A sharp tremor reverberated across her skin leaving her quaking and uncomfortable. Alex let out a long breath and attempted to relax in her chair, trying to ignore the desperate need to burst into tears again.

After a few silent minutes, the door opened again and Spider-Man returned, this time carrying a laptop and bowl of popcorn. She blinked at him, unable to comprehend what was going on.

He set up the laptop between them, sat down, and kept the bowl in his lap. "What...what are you doing?" She finally managed to ask.

Spider-Man leaned forward and navigated the page until it was on Hulu. He looked towards her, "What are you in the mood for?" He asked, as if they were just two friends trying to decide what show to watch on an ordinary Sunday afternoon.

"Excuse me?" She shot back, still confused. Her brow popped, and she couldn't help but look back and forth between him and the laptop.

He motioned towards the screen. "Well, you obviously aren't ready to talk about what happened yet, and I'm not going anywhere. I don't really want to be bored for however long you want to just sit here. So we are going to watch something to keep us occupied. What are you thinking? Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Parks and Rec? The Office?" She could practically see him smiling like a maniac underneath the mask. "Your choice."

Alex blinked again, trying to figure out if he was serious or not. He just waited for her to answer, so he must be, right? She wriggled in her ties again, leaning forward and cocking her head. "How old are you?" His voice certainly wasn't deep enough to be an adult, a little tidbit she was able to pick up on the first time they fought. But now he was offering to watch television and eat popcorn with her? She guessed he couldn't be much older than her.

Spider-Man fidgeted for a moment, tapping a finger to his ear. "Sixteen." He lifted his mask up just enough to shove some popcorn in his mouth. "Mr. Stark didn't want me to tell you that."

She regarded him carefully. They were the same age? She wondered what happened in his life to make him _good_ enough to become an Avenger, while she was...well she was a super villain right? That's what Spider-Man had called her. Before, Alex didn't consider herself to be the bad guy. Everything she had done was to protect her family. It was her job as the Enforcer to keep the people who she owed her life to safe, right? Even growing up, Joey had just been preparing her to take on the mantle. Now...well now she knew that it was all a lie. The faces of every person she hurt, tortured, or killed flashed through her mind, sending chills running down her spine.

"Alex?"

"We're the same age." Alex muttered quietly, biting the inside of her cheek painfully.

Spider-Man hummed something of an agreement. "I know."

Alex sighed and returned her attention to the screen. "Parks and Rec. Season 3." Since his mask was still pushed up to his nose, she could see the little smile Spider-Man gave her.

XX

Three episodes in, Peter didn't need enhanced hearing to pick up on Alex's stomach rumbling. He instantly felt bad for eating an entire bowl of popcorn in front of her. She didn't move her gaze from the screen, but he could tell she was more than a little uncomfortable. He leaned forward and paused the show just as someone tried to make the argument that the Twilight book series deserved to be included in the Pawnee Time Capsule.

"Hungry?" He asked.

She raked her teeth over her bottom lip and tried her best to give him a harsh glare. "Well you've got me tied up here, so unless you're planning on feeding me out of your hand, just play the damn show."

Peter couldn't help the little laugh that escaped him. "I don't know about that, but I'm sure Mr. Stark wouldn't mind letting you have a smoothie or something like that. Something with a straw."

"Or you could just let me go."

He swallowed past the lump in his throat, wishing he could do exactly that, but Tony gave a resounding "Don't even think about it, kid." in his ear.

"Got somewhere to be?" He asked lightly.

She shrugged. "Oh, you know. Places to go, people to kill. The usual."

Well, at least she was talking. "I thought I pegged you as the 'all lives matter' type. I mean, you didn't kill me up on that rooftop."

"I already told you, you didn't deserve to die." Alex said flatly.

Peter was silent for a few beats before trying again. "And whoever you want to go after does?"

Alex finally met his eyes, and he had to force down the shiver that threatened to crawl across his skin. If he didn't know that her powers were under lock and key in those cuffs, he would have sworn that the temperature dropped ten degrees under her gaze. "You watched the video, right?"

He nodded slowly.

"Then you know that the man who murdered my parents is still _alive_." She lifted her eyes towards the light, as if trying not to cry. "I spent the last ten years believing that my father-my adoptive father, killed him. Kept me safe. I thought I owed him my life for saving me that night. They both deserve to die for what they've done. To burn. Or drown. Or suffocate. Maybe a combination of all three."

Peter sat there quietly, unsure of how to respond. What do you even say to something like that? He coughed, standing awkwardly. "I'm going to see if I can get you something to eat. I'll be back." He practically ran from the room, almost bumping into Tony once he was outside.

"Whoa kid, where's the fire? She was finally talking!"

He pulled off his mask, "I just...I don't know what to say. To help. I just want to help. Which means getting her food. Do you have any milkshakes around here? Can Dum-E or U make any? She needs a straw. I should have asked her what kind she likes. I like strawberry. What if she's allergic to strawberry? Oh god, I'm going to accidentally kill her, aren't I?"

Before his word-vomit rant could continue, Tony stuck a hand over his mouth and smirked affectionately. "I think you've been spending too much time around me, kiddo. Yeah, we can get her some food, but the cuffs stay on. If you just missed it, she basically just admitted to the intent to murder, as justified as she might be, we gotta keep her on lock down."

Peter took a deep breath to steady himself. Tony made sense, because Tony always knew the right thing to say. "You're right, I know. I just hate the idea of her being locked up like a prisoner after everything we just found out."

"When she calms down, and we know that she's not going to run out the door on a murderous rampage the second we cut her loose, then we can untie her. Until then, go get the poor girl something to eat and keep trying to get her to talk." Tony gave him a little push towards the kitchen, and the corners of Peter's mouth twitched upwards. He could do that. This was fine.

She eyed him warily when he returned with a large RTIC cup and another bowl of popcorn. "Please tell me there's some kind of sleeper drug mixed in with whatever is in that cup. I wouldn't mind being unconscious right about now."

Peter shrugged, "Sorry, not this time. You'll just have to keep watching television with me." He held out the cup in front of her so that she would be able to reach the straw. "Here, I hope you like strawberry. It's my favorite."

Alex narrowed her eyes, but must have believed him, because she curled her lips around it. She hummed after a few seconds and pulled away. "First time having it, actually. It's good, thank you."

He pushed his mask up and shoved some popcorn in his mouth before offering some to Alex. For the first time since they brought her in, she smiled widely. She straightened in her chair, and lifted her chin.

Peter laughed and held a piece up, tossing it in the air between them before she caught it perfectly. "So, how is this the first time you've ever had a strawberry milkshake?"

Alex swallowed her food and got comfortable in her chair again. Well, as comfortable as was probably possible. Peter felt another twinge of guilt. "The Family was very strict growing up. I had a very limited diet. I guess they wanted to make sure I was in the best shape possible for whatever it was they needed me for." She wasn't able to keep the bitterness out of her tone.

He thought for a moment, wondering how much she was willing to share. "Who is your family?"

She returned her gaze to the screen and nodded, indicating for him to start back up the show. Peter complied, and they spend the next fifteen minutes in silence before she spoke again. "I-I can't tell you. But my adoptive father's name is Joseph. His father was the Boss of our family."

Peter didn't risk looking in her direction, nervous to accidently shut her down. "Was?"

He could see her nod out of the corner of his eye. "My fa-Joey, made me kill him. He wanted to take over as the head of the family, and I guess he was willing to go through his own flesh and blood to get there."

This time, he couldn't help but turn to meet her eye. "He made you kill your own grandfather?"

Alex's face twisted. "He wasn't my grandfather, not really."

Peter dipped his head, "I mean, you grew up thinking of Joey as your dad, which meant that you must have thought of this Boss guy as your grandfather, right? I can't imagine what that must have been like."

Her jaw tightened with obvious frustration. "No. No you can't." Alex turned to face him, and her eyes glistened. "Please, leave it alone, Spider-Man."

Natasha's voice sounded through the comm in his suit, "Now, Peter. You have to ask her about the Arc Reactor."

"I just...I'm sorry, Alex. But the Avengers need to know where the reactor is, and what your family is going to use it for. They need to make sure no one else gets hurt." Peter pulled the rest of his mask down over his face, and rubbed at the side of his head, placing his elbows on the table. "All of this really, really sucks, and I'm sorry. But I'm going to make sure that you're safe, alright?"

She flinched, and a sharpness glinted behind her eyes. Alex leaned forward and dropped her voice low and venomous, causing his spidey senses to flare up. "I am _done_ being manipulated, so you can tell your precious Avengers that the only way they are getting that Arc Reactor is if I'm leading the fucking charge."


	14. Chapter 14

**Note: Sorry for posting this a day late, I was traveling for a wedding. But exciting news…I'm getting a PUPPY on Sunday :D He's wonderful, precious, and I can't wait to pick him up. Anyway…enjoy!**

**Chapter 14**

Joey Genovese threw the door to the workshop wide open with a deafening echo and stormed in with Luca, Marco, and Angelo at his heels. The Tinkerer must have been able to pick up on the combined fury and desperation the men were putting off because he fumbled with whatever alien weaponry he was building and rose to his feet shakily. "B-boss!"

"How long will it take you to build something strong enough to break into the Avengers Compound?" Joey barked, stopping short of the workstation and knocking his ring against the metal so it resounded between the walls.

The Tinkerer's nervous eyes flickered back and forth between Joey and his crew before swallowing thickly. "Now that I have the Arc Reactor...maybe a week?"

Not acceptable. His Asset was being held by the fucking _Avengers_. Iron Man took what was _his_, and he would get Alexandria back. His life depended on it. Joey took a calming breath and curled his fingers into fists. His voice dipped low, and he managed to channel all of his frustration in a menacing tone that left no room for debate. "You have seventy-two hours."

The man nodded slowly and dipped his gaze towards Joey's chin out of respect. Smart man. Ever since two of Angelo's soldiers had returned to the mansion _without_ Shadowbreath, the entire Family had been on edge. When his Captain confirmed that Alexandria was being kept at the Compound, Joey had personally thrown the two soldiers into the Fold, meant only for the Asset, and strung them up. They didn't survive the ten thousand volts of electricity he pumped through the iron manacles.

Joey stalked back up the stairs and turned down the hallway. He waved off his crew, motioning for them to give him some privacy. He took a deep breath and dialed a number on his phone, dreading who would be on the other line. The line clicked through, but the greeting was silent as ever, so Joey gave his report quickly. "Sir, my team will move to re-acquire the Asset in seventy-two hours. I can assure you that our timetable has not been compromised."

More silence. Joey rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. When he called last time to inform his superiors of their loss, Richter threatened to come to New York and settle things himself. That...would not be good. Horrible really, and would most likely end with most, or all, of his family dead.

When his superiors lost the Winter Soldier two years ago, they approached Joey when they heard through the grapevine that he was in possession of a deadly Enhanced individual, one that didn't even need to be brainwashed. It was Richter who gave him the idea of becoming _capo di tutti capi,_ and the Five Families' new business direction. As long as he kept Alexandria in line and out of the hands of the government and the Avengers, he could keep his life at the top. Now that the Asset had been taken from him, his entire empire threatened to crumble. His superiors would retrieve Alexandria if he did not, and when they got their hands on her...well, Joey had seen footage of the Winter Soldier's programming. It was not a pleasant process. Not that he particularly cared for Alexandria as a person, but Joey didn't want to see ten long years of work and preparation go down the drain when they wiped her brain and took her for themselves.

Seventy-two hours, and then everything could go back to normal.

"I will not fail. _Hail Hydra_." The line went dead.

A noise sounded behind him, and Joey spun around in a blink of an eye to find Marco staring at him in horror, mouth opening and closing as if not able to form the words that were flashing through his head. _Shit_. Joey sighed loudly, and suddenly felt as if he aged ten years in the last thirty seconds. "Oh, Marco. I wish you hadn't heard that."

As his Advisor's hands moved towards the waistband of his pants where he kept his gun, Joey had his own weapon out and pulled the trigger without hesitation. There could be no hesitation. The clean shot nailed the center of Marco's forehead, leaving a perfectly round wound that distantly reminded Joey of a Triclops, and his longtime friend, Advisor, and Confidant dropped heavily to the ground, taking Joey's secret to his grave.

Xx

Natasha stood outside of Alex Anderson's interrogation room with her arms crossed, watching in interest. It was Monday morning, and Stark had forced Peter to leave the compound last night and go to school today, something he apparently needed May Parker's help with. The kid _really_ did not want to leave the girl here by herself, and had promised Alex that he would come back as soon as the bell rang, as long as his aunt was okay with it. Alex didn't give an outward reaction to his promises, but Natasha hadn't really expected her to. Besides, she was trained well enough to be able to see that the girl appreciated whatever familiarity Peter was providing.

"Stark, keep the room on lockdown while I'm in there."

The billionaire raised a curious brow in her direction, "You're going to talk to her? I know this is kind of your thing and all, but…" He gestured towards the girl, "she's a teenager. A kid. Not your typical prisoner. Be careful with her."

He was right, of course, but Natasha always liked a challenge. Her normal interrogation techniques wouldn't work this time around, so she would need to take a page out of Peter's book. The Spider-kid was the only one who had gotten Anderson to open up in any way, so Natasha would need to be careful not to shut her down. After the girl's insistence last night on being released to take out the people who had the reactor, she adamantly refused to mention anything else regarding the mission, or her background, or anything that wasn't that damn television show.

Natasha chose not to answer Stark, and instead waltzed into the interrogation room, pausing for a moment to listen for the door lock behind her. The girl eyed her warily, but kept up her default-bored expression that Natasha matched expertly. "Is it your turn to make sure the dog is fed and has plenty of water?"

She had to repress a smile. At least the girl had a sense of humor. Natasha could appreciate that. Alex narrowed her eyes when Natasha pulled out her butterfly knife and invaded her personal space. "Or, now that Spider-Man is gone, have you changed your mind and decided to take out the enemy?"

"I just thought you might want to be a little more comfortable." Natasha braced herself as she sliced through Alex's wrist and ankle ties in a single swoop. As expected, the girl flung herself out of the chair towards her captor. Natasha rolled away, blocking the three well-placed punches and ducking as a spinning kick was thrown at her.

Alex must have seen the smirk on Natasha's face, realizing that this fight was anticipated, and nodded in understanding. She lashed out harder and faster than before, with Natasha dodging each blow before flying across the room and delivering her own attacks. She could admit that the girl was good. More than good. She had obviously been trained well, but Natasha had been doing this for longer than Alex had been alive, and it showed. After a few minutes of playing around, Natasha leaped onto the girl's shoulders in her signature Black Widow move and trapped Alex in a chokehold with her thighs, sending them both toppling onto the cold ground. Natasha refused to let up until she felt the reluctant taps against her calf. She released the pressure between her legs, and grinned when Alex sucked in air greedily.

The girl shot her an almost impressed look, and collapsed against one of the walls. "Care to explain what the point of letting me out of my ties was?"

Natasha cocked her head to the side. "I wanted to see what you were capable of without your powers. I wasn't disappointed."

Alex held up her wrists and fiddled with the cuffs that blocked her powers. "You knew I wouldn't be able to take them off."

"Biometrically altered. Only an Avenger can release the cuffs." She smirked and shook her head, "And Spider-Man is not an Avenger, just in case you were wondering."

The girl chewed on the inside of her cheek. "So, I suppose I can't convince you to let me out of here, can I?"

"Nope. But this way you can take care of yourself. I am not the type to hand-feed you, no matter what your past looks like."

The girl flinched, and pointedly looked away from Natasha. "I don't _want_ or _need_ anyone's pity, Widow."

"Natasha. And I didn't say you did."

They stared at each other for a few minutes before Natasha offered her hand. Alex let it hang there for a moment before slapping it away and pushing herself up off the floor. Natasha smirked, she liked this girl. She had fire. They sat in opposite chairs at the metal table, and she motioned towards the giant one-way mirror. Agent Simpson brought in a covered tray, carefully setting it on the table before backing out of the room. Alex watched him silently, apparently debating on whether it would be a good idea to try and fight her way out while the door was unlocked, and Natasha waited for her to make a decision.

Thankfully, she stayed where she was. Once the lock clicked shut, Alex uncovered the food to reveal a bowl of strawberry yogurt and three strips of bacon, the scent filling the room. The teen raised an eyebrow in Natasha's direction, and she just looked back at her. "The kid said you liked strawberry. Was he wrong?"

"Uh, no. He was-yes. I like strawberry. I mean I had it for the first time yesterday."

"I see."

Alex hummed non-committedly, and twirled the plastic spoon between her fingers. "Scared I'm going to break out if you give me real silverware?"

"You didn't try to run just now."

She shrugged, "I knew you would stop me."

"You're a smart girl." Natasha praised, and leaned back in her seat while Alex started on her food. "We have a lot in common, you know."

Alex snorted, and ripped off a piece of bacon. "I sincerely doubt that. And you all can stop being so…" she gestured with her hand, "understanding. I may be sixteen, but I'm not naive or stupid. I know you just want information."

Well, Peter was honest, and that seemed to work for him, despite what Alex might say. "You're right, we do want information. We want to know what the mob wants the Arc Reactor for, because it's our job to keep people safe." Natasha leaned in, and quirked an eyebrow, "that includes you, Anderson. You're ours to protect now, whether you like it or not."

"I can protect myself." She sniffed and crossed her arms defensively. "And stop calling me that. It hasn't been my name for ten years."

There we go. "Oh? What would you have me call you then?"

Alex fidgeted with her now empty bowl. "I don't…I don't know. Just Alex I guess. I can't-not after." She took a deep breath and fell silent.

Well, Natasha could guess what the problem was. She hadn't been Alex Anderson for ten years. Her parents were killed, and another family raised her. They probably gave her a new name, a new identity, one that she would be proud of. That is, until she found out it was all a lie. She most likely didn't want anything to do with her new surname anymore. Natasha ventured that Alex felt alone. Out of place. Unwanted. Very similar to how Natasha felt before she found a family within the Avengers.

"I understand better than you think." She replied, getting comfortable in her chair.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"I was young when I was taken from my family and sent to the Red Room." Natasha paused, waiting for the flurry of interest that flashed across Alex's face. "We were trained, probably very similarly to the way you were. Weakness was not tolerated. If you failed, you died."

"I don't care."

Natasha shrugged. "Maybe you don't. But I've got a lot of red in my ledger, and I have a feeling that you know what that's like."

The girl's eyes fluttered closed. Natasha knew she was remembering the lives she took. She was feeling regret, heartache, and pain. That was good; it meant that Alex could be saved.

"I-I, no. No." Her voice was harsh from emotion she couldn't contain. "I don't want to talk. I just want to punish the people that did this to me."

She could work with that. No one deserved to go through what this girl did, but we all have to live with the cards we are dealt. "Alex." She called softly, and the girl's caramel brown eyes locked onto hers warily. "I will help you take down whoever is responsible. I will, I promise. But if you want any chance of getting out of this room, you need to talk to me. Or, if you don't want to talk to me, then talk to someone."

Natasha moved from her seat, deciding Alex needed some time to think about what she told her. "The Avengers will protect you. You aren't alone in this."

She didn't think Alex believed her.

XX

After spending two days tied to a chair, Alex began pacing the edges of the interrogation room for the next few hours, stretching out as much as she could. When a knock sounded at the steel door, she set her feet in case the Avengers decided to change their minds about wanting to protect her.

She was surprised to see none other than Tony Stark walk through the door, sporting a fancy navy suit and wearing his Iron Man gauntlets. Well, that answered her question. Alex curled her fists; ready to fight back when he attacked her.

"Whoa, whoa, stand down, kid." Stark called out, raising his palms in a defensive way that most certainly looked anything _but_ defensive with the gauntlets. When he noticed her increased agitation, Stark's eyes widened and dropped his hands to his sides. "Er, right. Sorry about that. I forget I have them on sometimes. These aren't for you-well, no; they are, but only in defense. Like if you go back to being super scary demon girl or something." He finally closed his mouth and shrugged sheepishly.

Alex stared at him a moment longer, then stepped back and leaned against the wall. "Is it your turn to try and get me to talk? I already told your friend that you aren't getting any information out of me unless I am out there fighting with you."

Tony grimaced and took a seat at the end of the table, folding the gauntlets over his lap to stop his incessant movements. He looked like he wanted to be focused on anything other than her. "I just, well. I came to…" his dark eyes flipped across the empty room before settling on Alex. "I wanted to apologize. For what I said, before. You know...where I practically screamed at you, used some choice language that I regret, and then insinuated that Natasha should use the taser again?"

Alex raised a brow in response to his rambling.

"That was wrong. I shouldn't have treated you like that, no matter how angry I was. I thought, well, I just. You're a kid, same as...our friend in the onsie. He's worried about you by the way-hasn't stopped texting me since he left the compound. Anyway, with what you've gone through-I'm just, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you. Also, I'm going to have some work done to this room. I think it's a little too…prisoner-esc for my taste. I want you to be comfortable while we figure this whole thing out. You don't deserve anything that's happened to you. I'm sorry for that. Again."

She examined him for a few silent moments. The great Tony Stark, _Iron Man_, was apologizing to _her_. The man Joey hated above all others, the guy he had tried to get Alex to hate with the same burning passion as he did. "What was it that pissed you off the most?" She asked. She wanted to know exactly why he snapped, not that Alex blamed him for it in the least. She had done a lot of horrible things that the Avengers were forced to clean up.

He hesitated, and his covered hands were twitching again. "You uh…" Stark swallowed and met her gaze, suddenly serious. "You hurt Spider-Man, Alex."

Guilt suddenly curled in her stomach, and she had to look away. "I-I know." She had beaten him into a pulp, left him on a rooftop, alone and scared, and now _he_ was the one worried about _her_. She didn't deserve his concern.

"He wants us to believe in you, you know. Ever since he met you, he was convinced that _something_ was wrong. That you weren't our enemy. Not really." He said quietly, bringing her attention back to him. "I need you to give me a reason to listen to him. Then we can move forward."

She didn't know what to say. Out of all of the horrible things he probably knew that she did, the worst transgression was laying a hand on Spider-Man. He must mean something to the billionaire. But Stark...he didn't understand the position she was in. How she was punished for it. Maybe if he did, he would be more inclined to let her help stop Joey.

"I was supposed to kill him, you know." She started slowly. Stark flinched. "I had orders. Before...before, I didn't disobey orders."

Stark stared at her, an emotion she didn't recognize playing across his face. "But you did this time."

Alex nodded. "I was ordered to incapacitate Spider-Man by any means necessary." She shrugged, "when you spend your entire life living by set rules, you learn to find the loopholes. He-he talked to me, instead of attacking. I'm sure he was just trying to get information, but it had...it had been _years_ since someone that my fath-_Joey_, didn't pay to talk to me. It's-its pathetic. I know. But I don't know. I had more fun fighting him than I had had in years. So when Spider-Man told me that someone was coming for him, I knew they would take care of him. So I put him down hard enough so that he couldn't follow us."

Stark took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, scrunching his eyes closed. "What happened to you?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You told me that you don't disobey orders. What happens when you do?"

Alex stayed silent for a moment, pressing her palms against the cool metal. "Then I get punished. I'm part of the family, and that's the rule. You break the rules, you face the punishment."

"And what is your punishment, Alex?"

"My father is smart, like you. Seems both of you were able to determine that I can't bend electricity."

Stark swore loudly, the color draining from his face. "Shit, you're kidding me? I'm going to throw that damn-It's going into the incinerator. I promise. You won't see it again. I-I'm sorry we had to do that."

Alex tried waving him off, fighting back the emotion that was closing up her throat. No one-no one had _ever_ apologized for hurting her. She was always told to get back up, that if she had been taken down, then Alex deserved it. They told her she was _weak_, and she needed to be strong.

Maybe Stark wasn't like Joey after all. Alex was surprised at the relief she felt in that moment.

"He hates you. Did you know that?" Stark shook his head, waiting for her to continue. "You ruined the first operation he was ever a part of. He was meant to prove himself to his father, and you ruined that for him. Since I've been with him, all I've heard for the last ten years is how Iron Man and the Avengers are a danger to our family."

Alex crossed her arms, providing her with a certain level of comfort. "He's going to come for me, Stark. You have to know that. And when he does, he's going to tear this place to the ground. Joey wants all of you dead."

Stark stood up and walked towards her slowly, eyes boring into hers. "Let him come. The Avengers have fought enemies bigger and badder than that poor excuse for a father, Alex. We can handle it. We'll protect you."

She moved into his space quickly, impressed that Stark didn't so much as flinch. "You don't get it, do you? The Avengers are scattered, _broken_. Those who remain are _alone_ here in this compound, and I would bet my life that he will take full advantage of that. Underestimating him will mean failure. You need me to stop what's coming, I promise you that." Alex tried to convey how much she needed this, how important it was for her to be the one to take her father down. "_Please_, Stark."

He swallowed thickly and stepped back, moving towards the door. "We'll talk about it. Just…be patient, okay? If we are going to do this, there are a lot of hoops to jump through."

Alex sat down in her metal chair, boring a hole through the table in front of her. "If I know Joey, then you are running out of time."


	15. Chapter 15

**Note: Sorry for updating a day late again, buuuuut I got my new puppy **** Beware: lots of fluff here. **

**Chapter 15**

"Parker, if you don't stop tapping your foot, it's coming off." MJ scowled at Peter from across the lunch table.

He blinked out of his thoughts surrounding Alex and the Avengers and placed a hand on his knee to still himself. Peter gave his exasperated friends a sheepish look, "Sorry about that…"

Ned cocked his head, "What is up with you today?" His friend leaned in closer, "does it have something to do with this weekend? You haven't told your guy in the chair what is going on."

Peter grimaced, unsure if he wanted to delve into the story right here at lunch. He whispered to Ned, "I'll tell you later, I promise." His phone buzzed in his hand, _finally_, and Peter's eyes snapped down towards it.

**I AM IRON MAN**: _God kid, you're almost as wound up as Cap. YES, everything is fine. Nat was with her. My turn next. She's still a sweet fairy princess._

Peter felt a sting of guilt swiping upwards to find his twenty-nine blue text messages unanswered before Tony finally replied. He had been making himself sick worrying about something happening at the compound while he was gone. What if Alex's dad suddenly decided he wanted her back, and he wasn't there to help stop him? What if she somehow got her cuffs off, and escaped herself? There were too many scenarios that could happen, all of which would go a lot smoother if he was there to help.

Not that the Avengers (or what was left of them) couldn't handle it, but he seemed to get along with her the best. Peter wasn't sure exactly what it was, but guessed it had something to do with their similar ages, and the fact that they both lost their parents. Whatever it was, he was glad for it. With all of the crap the universe had put him through, Peter just wanted to help people. That's why he became Spider-Man in the first place.

He had the power to help others, so he did. It wasn't any difference with Alex, just with a little more talking and feelings than he was used to.

**PETER PARKER**: _Sorry, sorry! I'll be there RIGHT after school. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!_

Peter could practically see Tony rolling his eyes-_hard_. He felt a spike of affection for the man, and bit back a smile. He still couldn't believe that he was allowed to call Mr. Stark _Tony_, and that he had his own room in the freaking Avengers compound. Happy would be waiting outside the school again to pick him up, the first time on a weekday, and Peter was thrumming with anticipation to get back. May hadn't been hard to convince last night to let him visit after school considering the circumstances. Once he explained what they learned about her background, May's face got all scrunched up like it always did when she was upset, and she practically demanded that Peter go back to see her. She had insisted that anyone with that awful of a father was in desperate need of friends, whether or not she wanted them.

So, Peter was determined to be her friend.

"Dude!" Ned pushed at his shoulder, and Peter slipped his phone back in his pocket, lifting his hands in defense.

"Sorry, sorry! Paying attention now."

MJ and Ned gave him unimpressed looks, and Peter shrugged. He couldn't help it if his mind was elsewhere.

They continued their conversation about...something or another, and the rest of the day followed agonizingly slowly in suit. Almost all of his teachers reprimanded him for his poor focus, and Flash continued his usual asshole-ness with not-so-eloquent jabs. After their confrontation with Happy, Flash had toned it down a bit, but it seemed that enough time had passed that his fear of the man was waning away.

When the bell rang, Peter flew out of his desk towards the door, looking back over his shoulder and confirming that, "Yeah dude, I'll text my guy in the chair" before making a beeline towards Happy.

As soon as they pulled into the Compound's garage, Peter scrambled out of the car and bolted towards the elevator before Happy could protest.

"Good Afternoon Peter, welcome back."

He grinned at the ceiling, even though it was silly. F.R.I.D.A.Y. was wired into the entire building, so she was just as present in the floor of the elevator as she was the ceiling. "Hi F.R.I.D.A.Y., can you take me to the interrogation floor?"

"Certainly." The elevator rose silently, and Peter was thrumming with energy. He wondered what Natasha and Tony had spoken to Alex about, and if anyone was with her now. When the doors opened, he stepped out to find Fury, Colonel Rhodes, Tony, and Natasha gathered around the communal area couches in deep discussion. They all looked up at Peter's entrance, obviously waiting for him.

He forced himself to relax, and waved awkwardly towards the group. "Uh, hi. How did it go today?"

Tony grimaced, and gestured for Peter to take the seat next to him. When he complied, the billionaire put an arm around him, pulling him flush against his side. "It was fine, kiddo. I feel like a total dickwad shooting her up with electricity when we brought her in, but other than that, I think we're just fine."

Peter's brow furrowed, and he tensed in Tony's grip. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Natasha leaned forward with her elbows resting on the tops of her thighs. "It means that the mob punished Alex by electrocuting her." Peter's eyes must have been saucers, because the assassin sighed. "The whole situation is awful. And she hasn't given us anything except the promise of a timeline. Alex seems to think that her family will come for her sooner rather than later."

Fury gave a disgruntled grunt, his arms crossed over his chest in a frustrated fashion. "I can't allow her to come on the mission to retrieve the reactor. A sixteen-year-old homicidal mobster has no place among an Avengers mission. Miss Anderson needs to give us the information we need, and then she needs to be escorted to the raft."

Peter was on his feet in an instant, and was surprised, but pleased to see that he was shouting over the rest of the room's occupants. Rhodey had his hands in the air with a scowl, Natasha was slashing a dangerous looking finger in the air, and Tony had seized upwards with a look of pure disdain, promising Fury that hell will freeze over before the government gets their hands on Alex. Peter was suddenly very proud to know the Avengers, not because they were Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but because they were good people, who truly cared about the people they promised to protect.

Fury looked thoroughly unimpressed at their arguments, and just stood up slowly in his chair. His eye flickered across the furious Avengers before landing on Peter, something Tony must have seen, because the billionaire moved in front of him in the blink of an eye. "_No_." The word came out so strongly, even Fury took a step back. "You don't get to make a shit comment like that and then look at the kid. You have an issue here; you look at _me_, not him. Do you understand?"

The vehemence in Tony's tone seemed to surprise the entire room. Fury's face returned to the carefully constructed mask quickly though, and the room stilled. Peter couldn't believe Tony had spoken to Nick Fury that way, for him nonetheless. Rhodey and Natasha stepped up beside them, effectively giving their show of support. "I think you should take your leave now, Director." Natasha clipped, her steely gaze boring holes into Fury.

He smirked, and folded his hands behind his back. "Very well. I'm going to remember this moment Stark. Tread carefully." Fury spun and stalked away and disappeared onto the elevator. The room didn't release a tight sigh until he was finally out of sight.

Before Peter could comment, Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and ground his teeth together. "Kid, go get your suit and head in there, she's been by herself for a few hours," he said without turning around.

"Uh, okay." Peter replied slowly, still reeling from the obvious tension in the room. He carefully stepped around Tony and Rhodey, and grabbed his backpack from where he dropped it next to the couch. He slipped into a bathroom and changed quickly, and then found himself pausing in front of the interrogation room door.

With his advanced hearing, Peter could hear the three Avengers arguing about something down the hall, and for a moment he wanted to turn around and join in the conversation. But Tony said that Alex had been alone for a few hours, and a sickly feeling twisted in his stomach as he thought about that. He gave a light knock on the door to announce his presence before stepping inside, stopping and stuttering as he did.

What was once an cold, empty room, save for a small table and chairs, with steel walls, was now transformed into a small living area. A sixty-inch television hung from the wall, a comfortable looking twin bed with ocean blue sheets and pillows was placed in the corner, and two lazy boy chairs sat in front of the TV atop a large area rug. Alex, who had changed out of her vibranium suit, was now in loose-fitting white washed jeans and a too-big Black Sabbath t-shirt, which Peter was almost one hundred percent certain was Tony's. When he came in the room, Alex's eyes lit up, and she grinned at him.

"Hey Spider-Man!"

"W-what's going on here? Where did all of this come from?"

She shrugged, collapsing into one of the chairs and bringing her knees to her chest. "I guess daddy Stark felt bad about locking me in my room. Wanted to make it a bit more comfortable."

Peter raised an eyebrow and took the empty seat, throwing his legs over the side. "Daddy Stark?"

Alex snorted, "Uh, yeah, he's like the dad of the Avengers. He lets them all live here, buys them all of the cool toys, makes sure the prisoners don't die of boredom."

"Hey, you're not a prisoner!" He scoffed indignantly. Her deadpan expression had him scratching at the back of his covered head. Peter tossed his hands up lightly, "Okay, maybe it might look a teensibit like you're a prisoner. But once we figure out all of this stuff with your family and the arc reactor, then you won't need to be in here anymore."

Her back stiffened, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not sure if you haven't been listening, or if everyone on your team just has selective hearing. You guys aren't getting any information out of me about the reactor unless I'm out there fighting with you. End of story."

Peter sighed and fiddled with the television remote. "I know you're set on that Alex, I do. And I know you don't really trust us, but the Avengers really do have your best interests in mind. They'll protect you, I've already seen it."

She eyed him warily, "What do you mean you've seen it?"

Usually, Tony or Natasha were in his ear prompting him to say certain things, or keep classified information a secret, but they must be busy now, so Peter thought he might as well tell her. It might help her take a step in the right direction in trusting them. "Just now, when I got to the compound, their boss, well I guess after these accords are signed, not really their boss...but they're liaison? I don't know the word for it…"

"Spider-Man, get to the point." Alex cut in.

He shook his head, "Er, yeah, sorry. Anyway, he kept saying all of this stuff about how we can't trust you to come on the mission, and that you should just be sent to this super scary floating prison." After seeing the horrified look on her face, Peter stuttered and rushed over his words, "B-but don't worry! Everyone there was on their feet defending you, protecting you. They aren't going to let that happen. Don't worry!"

Alex's tight demeanor didn't change, and she rested her forehead atop her knees. She took a deep breath, obviously processing the information.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you; I only meant to show you that the Avengers really are on your side. They are going to make sure you're taken care of."

She sighed and looked up, looking irrevocably more exhausted than she did a minute ago. "Just...can we just watch something, Spider-Man? Maybe Brooklyn Nine-Nine this time?"

Guilt crawled up his throat and curled tight in his stomach. Peter felt awful for bringing up the raft. How could he be so stupid? Of course that was going to scare her. Now she probably lost what little trust in them she had, and it was all his fault. He fiddled with the remote, flipping through the pages until he landed on Hulu, pulling up their show. Maybe, he could extend an olive branch. Show her that they really could be trusted, despite everything that had been going on.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, trying to decide what gesture would mean the most to Alex. He thought back to their previous encounters, and an idea popped into his head. Tony wouldn't like it. Well actually, Tony would _hate_ it. And possibly send him back to Aunt May...but it was worth a shot, right? He wanted Alex to trust him, to trust the Avengers. She wouldn't do that if she felt threatened, or felt like she was at a disadvantage and wasn't being taken seriously. He was surprised at how much he wanted her to like him. Not in any sort of romantic way, but Peter wanted to be her friend. He thought that maybe they both needed this.

And there was really only one way to take a step into meeting in the middle.

Once the first episode rolled into the second, Peter took a deep breath and pulled his mask off, quick and efficient. Alex flinched at the sudden movement, and stared at him wordlessly. He tried to work out her expression, which had shifted from shocked to perfectly masked indifference in half a second, but couldn't. The only thing he noticed was the slight upwards twitch of the corner of her lips, before she turned back to watch the show.

A few hours and a large box of pizza later (half meat lovers supreme and half plain, boring cheese), Peter and Alex were cackling over a small tub of Ben & Jerry's Hunka-Hulka Burnin' Fudge while watching Youtube's Top Vine Compilations.

"_...Hi, Welcome to Chilis."_

"_Mothertrucker, dude, that hurt like a buttcheek on a stick."_

Another round of barely contained laughter, and tears trickling out of the corners of their eyes.

"_...And they were roommates" "Mah god they were roommates!"_

Peter was on the floor laughing so hard, and Alex was lying upside down in the lazy-boy chair so her head was hanging just above the rug.

The sound of the door opening got their attention, and they had a second to pause the video before Tony strolled in with his hands in his pockets. He cocked his head and frowned at the pair, sighing loudly and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Kid, what did I tell you about the whole secret identity thing being, you know, a secret?"

Peter ground his teeth together sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Tony." He looked between Alex and the billionaire. "But, I thought she deserved a show of trust, you know? Something to show her we're on her side."

Tony's jaw tightened, and he turned to Alex. "Well, did it work?"

Alex twisted so that she was upright and pushed off onto her feet. She held a hand out for Peter so that he could stand with her. "Yeah, I think it did." The enhanced grinned and punched Peter in the arm, hard, and went back to her ice cream.

Tony let out a surprising burst of laughter and shook his head. "I'm glad to see you two are getting along. Kid, I think it's time for you to head home."

Peter frowned, "But it's only…" He looked around uselessly; there weren't any clocks in the room. "Actually I have no idea what time it is."

Alex licked her spoon, "It's almost ten o'clock."

The billionaire's eyes narrowed, "How do you know that?"

"It's what time? How did it get so late?" Peter asked, completely confused.

Alex shrugged, "Internal clock. I always know what time it is."

Tony looked mildly impressed, and twisted his arm around Peter's shoulder. "Time to get you home." He glanced back at Alex, who had folded herself back into the chair. "He'll come see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll be back tomorrow after school. Bye! Goodnight!"

She nodded in his direction, and Peter's heart ached when he saw a flicker of sadness reflected across her face. "I promise!"

Alex gave him a ghost of a smile, and Peter let Tony lead him out of the room.

XX

She wasn't surprised to see Stark reappear in her room about ten minutes after he sent Spider-Man home. Alex had been expecting it, really.

Alex brushed her teeth and washed her face in the bathroom Stark had installed the night before. She had changed into skinny sweatpants she guessed were an extra pair of Widow's, and sat on the corner of the bed, waiting for him to speak. All of this...stuff, he had done for her was strange. A good strange. Alex was at least semi-comfortable in the room now; she had a bed to sleep on, clothes besides her suit, and a television for entertainment.

They hadn't removed her cuffs, but then again she hadn't really been expecting them to. She recognized what they were trying to do, extending an olive branch and try to give her a reason to trust them, but she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do with it yet. And then Spider-Man had gone and shown his face, and Alex had the feeling that might have been off book. Either way, she appreciated it.

"Listen...I need to know." Stark started, his voice sounding tired and far away. "The kid, he wasn't supposed to take off his mask, and I think you know that. He _trusted_ you with that." The billionaire moved in front of her and knelt down, so that she could see his eyes. They were a deep brown, and full of concern. "I need to know that he'll be safe. That you won't use his identity against him."

Alex swallowed thickly, but held his gaze. "I know you don't trust me, Stark. _I know._ You told me yesterday that you wanted me to give you a reason to believe in me." She tried to let her emotions back her words. "I'm _not_ going to tell anyone who Spider-Man is. He's the only person who's ever treated me like...like a person. Not a weapon, a means to an end, or an enemy. If you choose to believe anything that comes out of my mouth, believe this: I won't let anything happen to him. He's...he's my friend."

Stark stared at her for a few long moments, and then finally nodded his head. "I…yeah. I believe you, Alex. Thank you." He moved to stand up, but paused, and looked at her a little funny.

She furrowed her brow a bit, wondering what was going through his head. Slowly, giving her plenty of time to reject him, he moved into her space and wrapped his arms around her.

A hug.

Alex was stiff and frozen, so it was awkward, but he just squeezed a little and then released her. Stark backed up and coughed, bringing her attention back to his face. "Er..yeah. You just looked like you might need one of those. No big deal. Uh, anyway, Widow will be back in the morning. Maybe you two can spar a bit? I don't know, she seemed to enjoy your little dance off today. And then after lunch, I'll come and see you. I'll bring a few more toys. And I'd really like to talk to you about how your powers work too, I don't know. Something like that. Then the kid will come by after school and…"

He cut off and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah. Anyway, tomorrow." He got the door open, and before he disappeared behind it, he glanced back at her. "His name is Peter, by the way. You know, if you don't want to just call him Spider-Man." And then he was gone.

Peter. She quite liked that name. For a friend. Her first friend.


	16. Chapter 16

**Note: Thank you to everyone who is reading/favorited/following or commented on this story. I really appreciate that you take time out of your day for that! Hope everyone has a great weekend!**

**Chapter 16**

When Natasha waltzed into her room the next morning, Alex was stretching out along the area rug. The assassin lifted an eyebrow and leaned her shoulder up against the far wall. "You up for breaking out of this joint?"

Alex scrambled up to her feet, eyes wide. "You mean I can leave?"

Natasha shrugged, "I was thinking we could take advantage of the gym if you promise not to try and fly the coop the first chance you get. I need to test your hand to hand combat if you're going to come with us to get the Arc Reactor back."

A grin broke out across Alex's face, and she had to suck in a quick gulp of air when she forgot to breathe. This was...this was incredible. Somewhere between revealing bits and pieces of her past and Peter revealing his identity, Alex's relationship with the Avengers had shifted. She was no longer a prisoner they were trying to interrogate. Instead, she had evolved into an ally they were willing to prepare to fight alongside with. She buzzed with energy, intent on not letting them down, or doing anything to lose the inch of trust they were giving her.

"I'm not going anywhere." She promised, holding a hand out to the assassin.

Natasha smirked, and shook it. She wound an arm around Alex's shoulders and led her out the door and down the hall. Alex hadn't left her room since she arrived at the compound, so she took the opportunity she had been given to take everything in.

"This place used to be an old Stark Industries warehouse before Tony decided to convert it to a base of operations for the Avengers. He even sold his tower to move everything here." Natasha explained, watching Alex's face as she admired their surroundings on their short journey. The large windows reflected rich forests and deep green fields. It was a beautiful piece of property overlooking a glittering lake illuminated by a rising sun.

"He's been talking about buying the tower back, you know."

Alex tore her gaze from the scenery and cocked her head to the side. "Why would he do that? Isn't this place enough?"

Natasha led her to the elevator and down a few floors to the level containing a massive gym, complete with a full ringed boxing platform, state of the art weight sets, an Olympic sized swimming pool, and an array of obviously modified punching bags, presumably for the missing super soldier. "This place is great, but I think it's a little too far from the city for Tony's taste. A little birdy told me that Spider-Man took off his mask for you last night?"

Alex nodded, a little wary of the sudden change in direction. She slowly walked around the gym, gliding her fingertips across the equipment.

"Peter goes to Midtown High in Queens. It's quite the drive for him to come to the compound. It used to be just on the weekends, but it seems like he has a reason to come every day now."

A blush crept across Alex's cheeks without her permission, and she moved to rub it away. After a few moments of silent thought, Natasha's words caught up with her. "Stark wants to be closer to Peter, right?"

Natasha gave her a small small. "Got it in one. Tony's got a soft spot for kids, in case you couldn't tell."

Alex turned and slipped underneath the ropes of the ring and bounced around on the balls of her feet. "I noticed. He's…." she struggled to find the words, "different from what I expected."

Natasha followed her around slowly, like a cat waiting to pounce. She occasionally lashed out, giving Alex plenty of time to dodge while they warmed up. "I have a feeling that is most people's experience when they meet him. How is he different from what you expected?"

Alex gave as good as she got, working up a thin layer of sweat as she danced around the assassin. "My family was always about consistency. I had rules I was expected to follow, and things I was expected to learn. Joey never went a day without telling me how much he _hated_ Tony Stark." She rolled her eyes, "got a little dramatic, if you ask me. I learned to tune out his incessant rambling by the time I was nine."

They were quiet for the next few minutes as Natasha kicked their sparring into gear, focusing on strict hand to hand combat, with the occasional kick to evaluate form. "I'm impressed." The assassin praised, leaning back against the ropes for a quick break. "And Tony's a good man. I hope we've been able to show you that you can trust the Avengers."

Alex greedily took a swig of the water bottle that somehow appeared next to the ring and stretched her limbs. "I...I don't think you are going to hurt me anymore, if that's what you're asking." She let her gaze drop to the floor, unable to maintain contact with the assassin's calculating stare. "I think we are going to work together to bring my father down. That's all that matters right now."

Natasha padded over to Alex and rested her hands against her slim hips. "What do you want when all of this is done?"

She stiffened, unprepared for the question. It wasn't like she hadn't been thinking about it, but Alex had been too preoccupied with her revenge plot to really consider what was going to happen to her once she took down Joey. She was alone, with no family to fall back on. Her parents had been murdered when she was six years old, and her adoptive father was a sociopath that she was planning on wiping off the face of the earth. It wasn't like she needed anyone's help, Alex was sure she could take care of herself. Maybe she would get a job? Maybe she could pass as eighteen, and get a place of her own. School wasn't really an option, considering she had no idea how one went about registering for a normal high school. She had only ever dealt with tutors, after all.

Of course, all of her sudden stress would only be relevant if the Avengers didn't ship her off to that horrible floating prison that Peter mentioned the moment everything was said and done. She hoped that he was right, and that they would keep that from happening.

"I...I don't know. I'll figure it out."

Natasha watched her with a strange expression on her face before nodding. "Maybe you're just what Stark needs to pull the trigger on buying the Tower back." Before Alex could really process what that meant, the assassin was signaling her to get back into her fighting stance. "Let's see how quick you are on your feet."

Alex only had a second to register Black Widow's smirk before she pounced.

XX

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., where did Nat and Alex run off to?" Tony asked while frowning at the empty room. He wasn't worried, he _wasn't_. He was sure that Nat had just taken Alex on a little field trip around the compound, but that didn't stop the sudden anxiety spike that shot up his spine when he realized they weren't in the interrogation/makeshift bedroom.

"Agent Romanoff and Miss Anderson are currently finishing up a sparring session in the gym."

Tony let out a relieved breath. See? Nothing to worry about. It was fine, everything was fine. Ever since Fury had gone and run his stupid mouth about the Raft yesterday, the billionaire felt a surge of protectiveness regarding Alex's well being. He wasn't quite sure where it came from, but he had a feeling that it had something to do with the fondness he experienced when he walked in on the two teenagers laughing their asses off over some stupid vine while eating their weight in ice cream. Peter, sweet, innocent and trusting Peter, had gone and revealed his face, and while Tony had a not-so-silent freak out in the next room, both of the teens seemed better for it. Alex had relaxed with Peter in a way that no one expected, and Tony couldn't help the surge of pride he felt over Peter's actions.

The kid had taken a risk, and pushed them all in the right direction. Can't fault him for that one.

After a long discussion with Nat and Rhodey while Peter was spending time with Alex, the Avengers had decided that the situation was too dire to leave the Arc Reactor to a mission without all of the information. With every small breadcrumb Alex left behind regarding her past, Tony and his teammates grew steadily more uneasy. They were dealing with a girl who had lost everything to a man who used her for his own gain. The whole ordeal struck a little too close to home as the billionaire thought about Stane, and he was the first to suggest that "fuck it, she should come with and get the revenge she deserves."

Rhodey had slapped him across the back of the head and tried to play devil's advocate. "She's a teenager, Tones. It's just like sending Peter into the field, and none of us are comfortable with that either. Plus, we can't guarantee that she'll follow protocol. She's not one of us."

"Maybe that's exactly what we need." Natasha had suggested. "The Avengers are scattered, Alex confirmed that her father knew that, and he would use it to his advantage. He's not going to expect to have to fight his own daughter."

Tony had snorted, "You think that's going to stop him in whatever big bad plan he's got brewing? He murdered her parents, and then spent the next ten years tricking her into thinking he was her _dad_. I can't imagine someone like that would hesitate to plow right through her to get what he wants."

After another thirty minutes of arguing back and forth, the three of them had come to the conclusion that yes, Alex would be able to accompany them to retrieve the reactor on a few conditions. One, they would need to evaluate her skillset without her powers. She was still too dangerous to consider letting out of those cuffs, so they needed to avoid releasing her to her own devices. Two, Alex needed to understand the dynamics of working with a team, which meant probably getting the kid involved, since she was most likely to listen to him, despite Tony's personal feelings about it. However short-handed they might be, the billionaire hated the idea of putting the teenagers in harm's way. Lastly, they would need to decide on a day to strike. Alex gave them an estimated timeline, and if she was right, they were inching closer and closer to the mark.

Tony made his way down to the gym while lightly tapping the arc reactor visible under his ACDC t-shirt. He had been toying with the idea of implanting a nanotech reactor into his chest, rather than just the one attached by a few well placed cords he was currently sporting, but hadn't really put too much thought into it. Anytime he delved too far, flashes of Steve's shield tearing him apart settled in his brain, and he desperately tried to forget the horrid fear and betrayal those images brought forth. Maybe he would talk to Peter about it. The kid had some great ideas on the team's suit enhancements, so maybe he would have something to say about nanotech. Pepper...Pepper would be opposed, but she would love him through it anyway. She was slowly coming around to the idea that Iron Man wasn't going away, no matter her feelings on it. The world needed the Avengers, and Tony Stark was Earth's Greatest Defender.

When he arrived at the gym, Natasha and Alex were sitting side by side along the edge of the boxing ring, their arms thread through the ropes for support. Tony made a show of waving his hand in front of his face, "Wow, what animal died in here? Who knew badass women sweat so damn much?" The teenager gave him a sharp look before bursting out laughing, and Tony practically preened at the sound. At least someone thought he was funny. Natasha smirked and flipped him off.

"What do you want, Tony? We were enjoying our girl's day."

He winked at the assassin and leaned forward on the ropes, facing Alex. "Why don't you both get cleaned off, then we can get something to eat. I want to show our newcomer some of the tech we'll be taking with us on the mission."

At the teen's bright grin, Tony smiled back in return. "There should be some clothes that will fit you in the gym lockers. The team always keeps something clean for our post-workout routines. I won't stop you from invading Thor or Cap's cubbies." He teased with a wink. When Natasha raised and eyebrow, Tony shrugged. Whatever, it wasn't like they were around to claim their stuff anymore. Having a sixteen-year-old girl rifle through their things serves them right for abandoning the him. Them. The Avengers.

Natasha rolled her eyes and followed after Alex, and Tony waited not so patiently for them to clean up. When they returned, Nat had changed into a slim-fitting tank top with yoga pants, and Alex donned a pair of jean shorts that must belong to the assassin, and a light blue button up with the sleeves rolled that he recognized as Bruce's. He felt a momentary ache at the reminder of his science-buddy, and quickly shook it off at Natasha's glare. She must be feeling a few hundred emotions at the memory of their own personal Dr. Jekyll, but the assassin would never be the first to bring them up.

Alex looked between the two Avengers for a moment, obviously assessing the situation before clapping her hands together. "What's this I hear about food? I could eat. Someone forgot to feed me before testing out what I can do."

Nat snorted, and shoved the teen's shoulder playfully, before dragging them both out to the cafeteria on the first level. It wasn't crowded, with only a few scientists and personnel milling about. Tony had their personal chef whip up some sandwiches while they got comfortable around a table set for four.

Once they were all settled with their food, Tony decided to dive right in. "So, kid." Alex eyed him expectantly as she dug into her sandwich. "If you're going to come with us to take back the Arc Reactor, we've got a few rules."

"Good thing I'm a champ at following rules, then." She muttered dryly, earning a small laugh from Natasha.

Tony narrowed his eyes, "I'm serious, Alex." He took a deep breath and continued. "If you are going to come with the Avengers on this mission, you need to work with us as part of a team. We can't do our jobs if we are worried about you running rampant off script."

Natasha nodded, now equally as serious as the billionaire, showing a united front. "Tony's right. I promised you that I would help bring your father down, but I can only do that if you promise not to just go off on a killing spree the moment we get close enough."

Alex winced, setting her food down and wiping a hand over her mouth. She was silent as she listened.

Tony forced his tone to be a little gentler. "We want to protect you, Alex. One way to do that is keeping you safe from the government. If they somehow hear that we let an Enhanced individual run amok by killing mobsters, then we won't get much say on keeping you out of their hands."

"We aren't going to let anyone touch you, but you need to work with us here." Natasha explained.

Alex fiddled around with her napkin, picking apart the flimsy material before settling her gaze on the two Avengers. Tony was irrevocably nervous for her response, hoping that she wouldn't press them on this issue. He knew how consuming the idea of revenge was, and if anyone had the motive to kill for it, it was Alex. But that wasn't how the Avengers worked, and if they were going to keep her away from Fury and the government, then she needed to play ball and suppress the desire to chop off her father's head.

"I was raised to be a monster." She started quietly. "I only ever had one goal in mind growing up: Be strong enough to protect my family, so that nothing like what happened the night my parents died would ever happen again. If you let me come with you to take them down, I promise that I'll follow orders. But…" Her jaw tightened, and she ground her teeth together in a display of handling her very real anger. "You have to give me your _word_ that my father doesn't walk free from this. That Joey and the man who killed my parents will get what they deserve."

Tony's heart constricted painfully, and he had to consciously remember to breathe. He wanted to strangle the people who did this to Alex himself, and by the look on Natasha's face, she was thinking along the same lines as he was. They locked eyes for a moment and nodded, silently sharing their agreement. Alex would not have the burden of killing a man who raised her. Tony was painfully aware of the nightmares and unbearable guilt that crushed you from the inside out that came from committing such a crime. Natasha, while she might be former KGB and one of the most deadly assassins in the world, had a heart just as big as the rest of them. She wouldn't want those deaths on Alex's conscious either. No, the Avengers would handle this. They would make sure these men paid for what they did to ruin this teenager.

"Alex." Natasha's voice was hard and powerful, drawing both of their eyes. "They won't get away with this. We can promise you that."

The teenager nodded and let out a long, bated breath. "Then I guess we have a deal."

XX

After lunch, Stark brought Alex down to this workshop, something that she had secretly been dreading since the billionaire mentioned it early that morning. Last time she had stepped foot in the lab, she had burrowed a giant tunnel right through the floor and destroyed millions of dollars worth of equipment, and that's not counting the priceless Arc Reactor she had a hand in stealing.

After promising to work alongside the Avengers rather than enact her own selfish revenge plan, Alex suddenly found herself with the desire to apologize. "Er...I'm sorry, Stark."

The billionaire turned to face her in the elevator with a bewildered look on his face. "Why in the world would you be sorry?"

She lifted a confused brow, "Uh, for destroying your lab?"

Stark huffed out a laugh and waved her off. "Don't worry about it, kid. Happens all the time. I blow up my workshop at least a few times a year. Hey, F.R.I.D.A.Y., when was the last time the fire department was called because I played with too much firepower?"

"That would be January the first, Boss. You had consumed too much alcohol at the New Years Eve party to make rational decisions regarding laboratory safety." A crisp disembodied voice answered, and Alex jumped back so far that her hips collided against the railing.

"What the hell was that?" She asked while looking around.

Stark's amused smirk only got wider. "Alex, meet F.R.I.D.A.Y., my AI, or Artificial intelligence. She runs the compound, catalogs and records anything and everything that happens here. She's my second model, the first one was JARVIS, but I accidently uploaded him to an automaton, and then he got infused with this cool rock and became Vision, one of the Avengers. They grow up so fast. F.R.I.D.A.Y., say hi to Alex."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Anderson."

Alex narrowed her eyes towards the ceiling, "Uh…it's nice to meet you too. Just Alex is fine."

"Yeah, ixnay on the Anderson-ay" Stark told his AI with a hand motion of cutting across his throat.

She rolled her eyes and tried to not find the idea of a supercomputer watching her every move creepy. When the elevator doors opened, she was surprised to see that the lab looked to be in pristine condition, down to the newly epoxied flooring.

"You sure fixed this place up fast." Alex admired, taking everything in, as she didn't really have time to during her last 'visit'.

Stark shrugged, "I told you, destruction is a regular occurrence around here, especially when I'm involved. Anyway," he led her towards the center of the room, where a large glass case began rising from the ground, "let's take a look at your suit, shall we?"

Alex froze at his words, and her eyes flickered over to the case where her Shadowbreath suit was indeed on display. It looked like it had been cleaned and polished, making the vibranium and black metal shine against the fluorescent lights.

"What did you do to it?" She asked, her tone edging on excitement.

Stark grinned, this was obviously something he enjoyed. Something he took pleasure in. "I may have spruced it up a little. If you're going to be rolling with the Avengers, you need to look the part." He grabbed a sleek metal box from his workstation and used a fingerprint scan to open it, revealing a small communication unit. He held it out for her to take. "During our mission, you'll put this in your ear so you can communicate with the rest of us. It's how we all stay connected."

Alex fingered the device carefully before slotting it along her ear and testing it out. Stark tapped twice on his sunglasses, "Testing, one, two, three. Do you copy?""

She smiled at him, "I copy." Alex tried to contain her excitement and removed the earpiece before handing it back to the billionaire. "That was really cool."

"You haven't seen anything yet." Stark assured her, and led her back towards the suit. "I installed a few components, like I have with Spider-Man's. There's a parachute and heater included, you'll just need to push these buttons here." He pointed to the appropriate triggers. "And then there's a function called the Baby Monitor Protocol."

At Alex's obvious _what the hell _look; Stark clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Pete's got one too. It basically just keeps an eye on you so that if you're ever in trouble, or get in over your head, one of us can always find you. We're the Avengers, Alex. We look out for one another."

She swallowed around the lump in her throat as she thought about what this meant. Stark was...worried about her. Concerned for her safety. Why else would he put his time, money, and effort into making her suit safer? She didn't really know how to handle that kind of attention. "T-Thank you, Stark. Really. This is...it's really nice."

Stark nodded a little jerkily, and pulled up a new hologram to fiddle with. Neither of them seemed remotely comfortable talking about this. "No problem, kiddo. I had fun playing with the design. Vibranium is always cool to mess with. I wonder how your family got enough to make this suit. Did you know I synthesized it once? Palladium poisoning. Vibranium fixed me right up. Anyway, have you, er, have you thought about going back to school once this is all said and done?"

Alex blinked at Stark's rambling, and then sudden change of topic. "Uh...what?"

He continued talking with his back to her. "School, you know? Like high school. You'd be, what? A sophomore? Junior? Tenth or Eleventh grade?"

"Uh...I'm not sure. I had tutors; I didn't actually go to a real school. I wouldn't know how to go about getting into one when we are finished."

Stark looked back over his shoulder, watching her with interested eyes. "Maybe we could figure it out. Someone your age should be in school. Maybe we could get you set up at Peter's school, Midtown High."

Alex took a step back, head reeling. She rubbed delicately at her temple, hoping to soothe the beginnings of a massive headache. "I...I don't know. I've never been around that many people before. I don't know if I could control myself. Besides, It's not like I could actually go. I have to get a job, find a place to live, figure out my life."

This time, Stark turned around to face her fully with his head cocked to the side. "Alex, do you really think we are just going to throw you out on the street after we take your people down?"

She shrugged, taking to walking around the lab and focusing on anything that wasn't Tony Stark.

"Hey, hey, come over here. Talk to me." He coaxed, patting the workbench beside him. Alex huffed before obliging. She was fighting her first instinct to run, not wanting to risk the horrible dealer that was _hope_. Stark ran a hand through his hair and met her gaze. "I'm thinking about buying back the Avengers Tower. I had rooms for everyone, and it was a great home before we moved into this place. With Peter at Midtown, I was thinking it might be a good idea to be closer to him, especially with all of his work as Spider-Man." The billionaire took a deep breath, obviously trying to steady himself. "I don't know what we could work out legally, I have the best lawyers in the world, but maybe we could work something out where you could stay at the tower with us, and go to school with Peter? I don't like the idea of you going off by yourself when we finish this, and I know Natasha would kill me if I don't set something up for you."

Alex buried her face in her hands, unwilling to listen to the billionaire anymore. "S-Stop. Just stop, okay?" She didn't look up, and chose to focus on a suddenly very interesting spot on the ground instead. "You don't owe me anything. None of you owe me _anything_. I don't want your pity, or your charity, I can take care of myself just fine."

Stark made a disagreeing ticking noise with his tongue. "No, nope, that's not what this is."

She lifted her eyes to give him an incredulous look.

"It's not pity, Alex. It's not." He insisted. "You're sixteen years old, and I've said this to Peter, you can ask him, you deserve someone who can take care of you. That's what adults are supposed to do. It's not pity or charity, or whatever you think this offer is. I'm going to make sure you're alright after all of this, okay? And it might be fun going to school with Peter. You'd get to make new friends, maybe. If you want. Go to class, learn things. Maybe try sports? Go to school dances and knee over-enthusiastic teenage boys in the balls. Normal teenager stuff."

Alex tried to hold his firm gaze, and found herself looking away first. It was all so...normal. She had never been normal, and she wasn't sure if it was a life she was cut out for. But the way Stark described it, normal seemed almost tangible. Possible.

Stark must have picked up on her processing all of the new information, because he coughed awkwardly and turned back to the hologram. "Anyway, yeah, just think about it. Now come and see what other toys we've got for our mission."

She tried to focus on the billionaire's technology tangent, but found her mind drifting back over the possibilities of what her life could be like when this was all over. A normal school, with normal people.

It wasn't really something she should get her hopes up about...but a girl can dream, right?


	17. Chapter 17

**Note: Peter and Alex fluff. BTW, thank you for reading. I know OC's aren't everyone's favorite (they aren't mine either) so I appreciate anyone who is giving this story a chance! **

**Chapter 17**

When Peter arrived at the compound later that evening, he was surprised to see Alex in another shirt that was too big to be her own, doing pull ups on a bar that Tony must have had installed earlier that day. When she noticed him, Alex hopped down happily and grinned at him. "What's up Spider-Man? Or should I say _Peter_?"

His eyebrows chased his hairline, and he couldn't resist smiling back. "Hey, someone must have told you my name!" He shot out a hand for her. "I'm Peter Parker, it's nice to meet you."

"Alex…" She shook his hand and faltered, obviously trying to figure out what to call herself. Peter just shrugged, and assured her that just Alex is fine. Tony had texted him during the day explaining that the Avengers agreed that she could accompany them on their mission to retrieve the Arc Reactor, so she was free to wander around the compound as long as she had an escort. Peter was more than happy to help stretch her legs, now that he had Tony's permission.

"So, I hear you can fly the coop now. Wanna take a walk?" He asked, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his school clothes, now that he didn't have to wear the suit anymore.

Alex gestured towards the door, and rolled her loose sleeves back up. "Lead the way."

Peter wasn't quite sure where he wanted to take her, but he knew she had already been to the gym, the cafeteria, and Tony's lab, so he was thinking maybe just a stroll across the grounds. With all of the Avenger's security measures, they should be perfectly safe.

"How about we go outside? It's a nice day for October, and I bet some fresh air might do you some good." He suggested as they made their way to the elevator. Alex beamed and nodded excitedly. Peter was a little curious about her clothes, so he asked, "Whom are you wearing today? Yesterday you had on one of Tony's t-shirts, how about today?"

She looked down and picked at the buttons, "Uh, some guy named Banner. I'm not sure, Stark just told me to pick from the clean clothes in the gym lockers."

Peter nodded, "That's Dr. Bruce Banner, then. He's the world's leading expert on Gamma Radiation. He also turns into the Hulk when he gets angry."

Alex's eyes widened, and she followed Peter out of the elevator as they stepped onto the first floor. "I don't know much about the Hulk, or any of the other Avengers to be honest. My father was really just focused on Iron Man. What happened to everyone else, anyway?"

Peter chewed on the inside of his cheek and paused before opening the backdoor that opened up to the grounds. "Well, I'm not sure where Thor and Dr. Banner are. All I know is that they're off world somewhere. As for everyone else, they're kind of in the wind until the Accords can be signed. Tony was able to work out a deal that cleared them of any charges, so we should see them come back soon. Hawkeye and Ant-Man are on House Arrest, while Captain America, Falcon, the Scarlet Witch, and Vision are hiding out."

As soon as they stepped foot outside, four armed security guards rounded the corner and followed them at a slow pace. Alex shot him a nervous look, and he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy as well. When he turned to ask what they were doing, his phone rang and AC/DC's Back in Black cut through the tense air. Peter fumbled to answer and pressed it to his ear. "Tony?"

"Hey kid. I see you ogling the Ghostbusters down there, just ignore them. I have them watching you two for your protection while you're running around outside."

Peter shrugged in Alex's direction, and kept walking. "Okay, thanks!"

"Bring our fairy princess up for dinner when you're done. Later, kid." The phone line cut off, and he explained that they could ignore the guys behind them.

She still looked a little wary, but seemed to trust him at his word. "So, why the divorce? Just the Accords? I heard about them. I think everyone had their own opinion on what the Avengers should have done."

Peter sighed dramatically and led Alex towards the walking path along the lake. The sun was low in the sky, still providing enough daylight to keep the automatic lamps from coming on. "I think it was a combination of a lot of things. Every news footage of the Avengers' fights show them working as this incredible team, right?"

Alex nodded, keeping her gaze on the water.

"I think once they stopped trusting each other, the whole team dynamic fell apart. The Avengers are a family, and families have to be able to rely on one another. Once Captain America and Tony fought, the rest of them fell in line." He could hear the traces of sadness in his own voice and tried to brush past it. The thought of anyone betraying Tony Stark the way Cap did...it didn't sit right with him. He could feel the weight of the burner phone in his pocket, and traced the outline out of habit. Peter knew that the only hope the Avengers had of getting back together as a team was for Steve and Tony to work their problems out.

"You're right, you know." She hummed, and Peter gave her a questioning look. "About families needing to trust each other. The only way the Five Families became so powerful and successful was because they had a leader they could get behind. They trust their _capofamiglia_ to put them on the past path forward, and to protect them from those who mean them harm."

Peter was suddenly very curious about how Alex grew up. "What was it like?" He asked. "Growing up in one of the biggest crime families in New York?"

A small smile danced across her lips. "It probably wasn't anything like you've cooked up in your head, I can tell you that." She shrugged and continued on. "It was a little lonely, I guess. My father didn't like me hanging around anyone that wasn't a part of his or my grandfather's inner circle. There was his Underboss, Advisor, and Captain that I saw frequently. They would take part in my training, or take me to the park when our home got a little too stuffy."

"What about school?"

Alex shook her head. "I had tutors, mostly. The subjects that were required for me to perform perfectly in were languages and weapons training."

Peter paused their walk and turned towards her in surprise. "You can speak multiple languages?"

She grinned, "I'm fluent in Italian, Russian, and Spanish. And I can take apart and reassemble anything on the market. You put a gun in my hand and I'll hit my mark every time."

"I'm officially impressed." Peter drawled, and he was. If she was trained for as long as he believed, then no wonder he had his ass handed to him in the fight. "But you don't really need any of that to win in a fight, do you? I've seen you in action. You're incredible."

A faint blush crept across her cheeks, and she tilted her chin down to hide her face. "Ah, no, I don't. But I never want to be caught in a situation where I can't defend myself if I can't use my powers." She held up her wrists to show off the cuffs. "Exhibit A. While these babies are on, I can't manipulate my elements. But that doesn't mean I'm any less deadly."

Peter nodded, "Trust me, I believe you."

She shot him a nervous look. "Enough about me, though. I have a question…"

"Uh..okay. Should I be worried?"

Alex just chewed on her cheek. "I don't know. Depends on how you feel about it. Earlier...earlier you mentioned that you understood what it was like to be alone. To have your family taken from you. What did you mean?"

Peter froze, working his jaw as he tried to decide how to answer. He didn't talk about his parents much. Or at all. It had been hard for Aunt May and Uncle Ben to discuss, so it just wasn't a subject that was breached often. "Well…" He started, and inwardly cringed. It wasn't fair that Alex was here talking about her family, and he was unwilling to mention his. "My parents died in a plane crash when I was a baby. I never really knew them. I was sent to live with my Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but he was killed a little over a year ago."

Alex was silent for a few moments before she spoke softly. "I'm sorry, Peter. I'm sure it was hard for you to lose them."

"Ah...yeah, yeah it was. Like I said, I didn't know my parents, but I've seen pictures, you know? And a few home videos that May kept around the house. They seemed like really nice people, and they didn't deserve what happened to them. Ben...Ben was the best. I never told him or May about my powers, but I think he knew something was up, you know? He told me one time that, 'With great power, comes great responsibility.' It's stuck with me."

He could hear her swallow, and make a little noise in the back of her throat. "Yeah, I can see how that would be worth remembering. It's good advice. Something I never really got."

"No?" He asked, turning them around so they could walk back in the direction of the compound. He didn't want to get too far away, even with Tony's bodyguards following them.

She gave a little snort. "Definitely not. It was always 'get back up, Alexandria.' 'You're weak, when you need to be strong.' 'How can you expect to protect this family when you can't even protect yourself.'"

Peter's stomach curled. He was surprised at the fierce anger he felt at hearing those words. "That's awful, Alex. I'm sorry."

Alex waved him off. "Don't be. Besides, I didn't really listen to my Father when he said stuff like that anyway. I had my own way of finding the strength to get back up. Everyone needs their own personal encouragement, right?"

He had to agree. His was remembering that he wanted to help people. He was given these powers for a reason, and he intended to make the most of them. Peter was just happy that Alex found something to lift her up too.

Alex clapped her hands behind her back and gave a quiet whistle as they walked side by side. She tilted her head to look up at him. "So, Stark mentioned something today. I wanted to get your opinion."

"Shoot."

She took a deep breath. "Well, he said that after this was all said and done, I should maybe think about going to school, the one you go to, Midtown High?"

Peter stopped and met her gaze. She seemed nervous and unsure, but he could see a glimmer of hope behind her eyes as well. "Alex that would be awesome! You should totally do that!"

She gave him a hesitant smile, "You think so?"

He nodded enthusiastically, "Absolutely! I could introduce you to my friends, you and MJ would get along so well, and Ned has been dying to meet you. I told him about you today, he's my guy in the chair, so he's the only one there who knows I'm Spider-Man. He would keep your secret too! But-wait, isn't it kind of a far drive from the Compound to Midtown?"

"Both Natasha and Stark said that he was thinking about buying the Tower back. I honestly think he was already planning on doing it so that he could be closer to you."

Peter's eyes widened, and he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Tony said that? He could be moving back into the tower?"

She laughed and shook her head, "Man, I thought I was just kidding about the Daddy Stark stuff before, but I'm not wrong, am I?"

It was his turn to blush. "I-I don't know what you mean."

"Peter," She started, rolling her eyes and flashing him a knowing smile. "It's obvious that you look up to the guy. Stark is _infatuated_ with you. He practically ripped my head off when I hurt you, and he's more protective than any guy who's _not_ your dad has any right to be."

He just tilted his head back and looked up at the darkening sky. They should probably head back inside for food, but he wanted to move past this conversation before they saw Tony. "He's just...I don't know. He doesn't see me like that."

Alex scoffed, and he turned to glare daggers at her. "You're not fooling anyone. You have Tony freaking Stark wrapped around your little finger, and there's nothing wrong with that." She shrugged, blatantly ignoring his frustrated look. Her tone dropped until it was a little more gentle. "Really, Peter. You love him like you would your own father. You love him like he's your _dad_. That's okay. I spent my whole life learning how to read people, and he feels the same way about you."

Peter tried and failed to come up with a sort of denial, or argument against her words, but somehow couldn't bring himself to it. It was everything he had been thinking about the past few months, all boiled down to one undeniable truth. Peter loved Tony Stark as much as he loved Uncle Ben and Aunt May. The words had been roaming around in his brain for a while, but he kept himself from thinking too deeply on it considering that the whole idea that Tony Stark, Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist, and _Iron Man_, for Christ's sake, could consider a kid from Queens like anything in the same neighborhood as a _son_ was just too much to handle. It just wasn't possible.

But here Alex was, someone who had known the pair for less than a week, noticing their relationship right off the bat. It gave him a slimmer of hope that maybe he wasn't overthinking things between him and Tony. He had told Pepper that he loved them both, but this somehow seemed different. Bigger. More permanent.

"I-I...yeah, I do. I do love him." As soon as he said the words, Peter felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. He turned to grin down at Alex, "Let's get some food, and then we can eat our weight in ice cream while I show you this awesome compilation video I found online today."

Alex raised her hand and gestured towards the approaching backdoor of the compound. "Lead the way."

XX

Looking back on it, Alex wished she had more time with the Avengers.

She wished she had more time learning from and sparring with Natasha.

She wished she had more time laughing until she cried with Stark.

And she wished she had more time getting to know Peter.

Maybe, if fate hadn't intervened, she might have learned to love the Avengers. Maybe they could have learned to love her.

Maybe she could have found a new family among Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

But, none of those things were going to happen, because she wouldn't remember the Avengers. She might even be ordered to fight them, possibly even kill them, and she would be powerless to resist.

As Alex hung from her iron shackles, her weight pooling against the throbbing pain of her shoulders while her toes dragged useless along the metal flooring, she desperately wished she had more memories to cling to. Five days with the Avengers wasn't enough time. Five days trying to impress and out maneuver the fierce Natasha Romanoff. Five days to try and learn from and understand the fantastic enigma that is the great, caring, and larger than life Tony Stark. Five days to try and build a friendship with the world's biggest goofball with a heart of gold, Peter Parker.

She tried to hold on to each memory for dear life, suddenly terrified that _he_ was going to take it all away. Her new home.

Alex Anderson wished she had more time.


	18. Chapter 18

**Note: Happy Friday everyone! **

**Chapter 18**

_One week earlier_

"But you know, the suit can take the weight, right? So I take the tank, fly it right up to the General's palace, drop it at his feet. I'm like, _Boom_, you looking for this?" Alex snorted, sending Gatorade out of her nose and earning another round of laughter from the Avengers.

Colonel James Rhodes, War Machine, looked more than pleased at their amusement, and pointed happily at Alex. "I like this one, she laughs at my jokes." He narrowed his eyes at Stark. "Unlike someone over here."

Stark clutched his chest in fake disbelief, "Rhodeybear, I _always_ laugh at your jokes. At least your funny ones. Come to think of it, do you ever have funny stories? Nope, no, I can't seem to recall-"

He was cut off by Rhodes slapping Stark across the back of his head, before giving him a fond smile.

"So...I take it you've known each other a while?" Alex asked while trying to clean up the spilled Gatorade. Rhodes was only in town for the night, and asked to have dinner with Natasha, Stark, and Peter so that he could meet Alex before they set out for their mission.

Rhodes clapped Stark on the shoulder and nodded. "Since our college days. Tones was a fifteen year old shit who thought he was better than everyone else-"

"Which I was!" Stark somehow managed to stick out his tongue and look dignified doing it.

"-and I helped keep him from getting his ass handed to him on multiple occasions."

Stark shrugged, "People fear intelligence."

Rhodes rolled his eyes, "People don't like it when someone verbally rips apart the Engineering thesis, that they have spent the past four years of their life completing, in a span of five minutes. In front of the entire review board."

"That was one time! And if Mowler didn't want his work dissected then he shouldn't have done such a shit job with his dissertation."

Natasha made eye contact with Alex from across the table and gave her a little smirk. "Boys."

Stark waved his hands, as if mentally pushing that conversation aside and leaning forward towards Alex. "Alright, alright, enough stories from Colonel Boring, let's get down to real business, shall we?"

His gaze sparkled with excitement, and Alex knew it was time to finally start talking about the whereabouts of the Arc Reactor. She squirmed in her seat as four sets of eyes watched her with intensity. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

Not surprisingly, it was Natasha who asked the first question. "Which of the Five Families have you been living with for the past ten years?"

Alex worried at her bottom lip before answering. "The Genovese Family."

Stark let out an impressed whistle and leaned back in his chair. "By far the biggest and baddest mafia family in town. So they are the ones who have been stealing alien tech?"

She nodded, fiddling with her straw. "Yes. When my father took over as _capo di tutti capi,_ he moved our business back into weapons manufacturing, just with a little more kick."

"Back into?" Peter asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah, apparently before Iron Man, the Five Families were knee deep into the buying and selling of illegal weapons. Mainly Stark weapons. I think my father has always wanted to return to the old ways, he's just been waiting for the right opportunity."

Rhodes snuck a worried glance at Stark, who looked to be in his own little world thinking about the mob having their hands on his weapons. "Okay, so what's their endgame here? When do we need to storm the castle, so to speak?"

Alex had been giving that particular question a lot of thought over the past few days. Her family home was fortified with alien weaponry, so a direct assault was unlikely to do much damage. The best bet would be waiting for their targets to be out in the open, which would mean attacking the same night as the party. She knew her father would be coming for her, as he probably still believed her to be on their side, and he wouldn't want to proceed with his plan without Shadowbreath. But she couldn't be sure _when_ to expect him, and it wouldn't do her any good worrying about it. Best to stay focused on their goal.

"In a little less than a week, there will be a party at the White House."

The Colonel raised an eyebrow, "The Gala Military Ball, Ellis offered to host this year."

Alex nodded, watching the others suddenly stiffen. "The Five Families are planning on attacking that night. I'm not really sure what Joey's planning for it, but I know it can't be anything good. The weapons I saw...they were terrifying."

Natasha held out a hand, "Wait, do they really think they can storm the White House while all of the highest ranking United States Military personnel are on site? Do they have a death wish?"

A heavy block of ice settled within Alex's stomach, and she tried not to dwell on it. "I-I think there's more."

"More?" Stark asked, confused.

"More." She confirmed. "I think my father has been working with someone outside of the Families. I can't be certain, but I know he wouldn't have bothered moving forward with a plan of this scale if he wasn't absolutely certain he could win."

Peter shifted next to her, running a hand through his hair anxiously. "Why don't we go after them before the party?"

Alex shook her head, "If you guys think the Avengers Compound is hunkered down, then you haven't seen our family mansion. My father is a paranoid son of a bitch, the first thing he did when he took over as _capo di tutti capi_ was use the alien technology to fortify our walls. He's also put safeguards in place in case anyone tries a direct attack. Our best course of action is to wait until the weapons are out in the open."

Rhodes sighed, "And the NYPD hasn't been able to tie any hard evidence down to the Five Families in years, so we wouldn't be able to obtain a warrant." He narrowed his eyes at Alex, "you guys cover your tracks well."

She flinched; suddenly remembering all of the jobs her father had asked her to do for that very reason. Natasha must have understood, because she deflected the attention away. "It doesn't matter if we can get the police involved. The Avengers are handling it, and that's enough." Alex shot her a grateful smile.

Stark pinched the bridge of his nose, probably trying to ease away the stress that had built up as a result of this conversation. "Where did you fit into all of this, Alex?"

Alex snapped her straw in half while staring a hole through the table. "What else? I was meant to lead the charge. I was supposed to receive my orders the day after I obtained the Arc Reactor. Since you guys got ahold of me first, I don't know any of the specific details of his plan."

Peter shrugged, "Oh well, I'd rather be fighting with you than against you."

They grinned at each other, and she knocked her shoulder against his. "Back at you, Spider-Man."

Stark pushed his chair back to stand up, and threw his trash away. "Okay, enough business talk. The two of you need to get some sleep. The three of us will dig up anything we can regarding the party at the White House, and tomorrow we can get back to working with you both. Alex, keep training with Natasha, and then you and I can talk about possible attack strategies. When Peter gets here after school, you guys can work with Black Widow and Iron Man." He turned to the Colonel and clapped him on his shoulder. "Say goodnight to the kids, Rhodeybear."

Rhodes stood and held out a hand towards Alex and Peter, who each took it with a smile on their face. "I'll see you in a few days once my mission with the Army is complete."

"I'll walk you back to your room." Peter offered her with a smile.

Stark shook his head, "Actually let me handle that, kiddo. You get home to Aunt May, she's already texted me three times to check on you."

Peter rolled his eyes, "It's only ten o'clock."

The billionaire wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled Peter close. "Yeah, but you usually spend weeknights at home. Not that I don't love having you here, kid, because I do, but I know your aunt misses you too."

At least Peter had the gall to look sheepish, but sunk into Stark's touch nonetheless. Alex couldn't help but smile as she watched them both. It was becoming painfully obvious that Joey never really looked at her the way Stark looked at Peter. After ten years together, Alex thought her father loved her, but now she was able to recognize that his affection was just a means to an end. The realization hurt more than she anticipated, and her jaw twitched. Despite learning that Joey was responsible for the deaths of her parents, and that he _kidnapped_ her instead of saving her, Alex secretly hoped that he had grown to care for her as a daughter in all of their time together. That was a fool's dream though.

She was broken out of her thoughts as Peter approached, giving her a hesitant smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

Alex returned his smile and nodded. "You bet."

Before she knew it, Peter had wrapped his arms around her, similar to the way Stark had the night before. The hug wasn't received any easier, and she was stiff for a few moments before squeezing back. "Goodnight, Peter."

"Goodnight, Alex." He flashed her a thousand watt grin and let Stark lead him out of the cafeteria. Natasha took Peter's place and leaned an elbow on one of her shoulders and turned to Rhodes.

The three of them chatted for a few minutes before Stark returned and gestured for Alex to follow him. She waved goodnight to the remaining Avengers and jogged to catch up to the billionaire.

"I don't need an escort back to my room, you know." She teased with her hands in her pockets.

Stark smirked at her with a glint in his eye, "Ah but you do. You're not going back to that closet of an interrogation room."

She narrowed her eyes at him as he led her to the elevator. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see." He hummed happily as the elevator took them past the floor she was used to, and stopped on the fifth level. "This is the floor where everyone's rooms are."

She paused and blinked at him, "Wait...do you mean…?"

They had stopped at the entrance of a massive common room. Three large couches and two lazy-boy chairs were gathered around a television the size of a wall, and an enormous kitchen complete with a full bar, two refrigerators, and a dining room table that could fit a small army opened up off to the side. "Yes, I mean. Now come on this way." Stark led her off to one of the branch hallways, and stopped in front of the third door on the right.

He turned the knob and pushed it open, revealing a suite that could have fit six of the interrogation rooms inside. The walls were painted a light purple with a dark violet accent wall, the edges lined with pretty black rope. A huge king sized bed sat in the middle of a circular platform, surrounded by an antiqued black dresser and desk.

Alex slowly made her way inside the room, taking everything in with a rush of untapped emotion. Her fingertips trailed along the soft material of the comforter, and she opened the dresser drawers to reveal neatly folded clothes that were obviously her size.

Stark had done this for her. He had given Alex her own space like...like she was one of them. Suddenly, she was overcome with a rush of gratefulness. She put her head between her hands and sunk down slowly onto the area rug that had been in the interrogation room/makeshift bedroom. Stark let out a displeased grunt, and moved to her side quickly. "Alex? Are you okay? If you don't like it, we can change it-"

Before he had a chance to finish his incessant rambling, Alex had launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around the billionaire's shoulders, and buried her face into his neck. "I love it." She whispered when he finally got ahold of his bearings and lightly patted her back. "Thank you so much."

He pulled back a little and smiled hesitantly, "You're welcome. I told you, Alex, we're going to take care of you. The Avengers have your back."

She scrambled back towards his chest, and let herself be hugged by the billionaire. For the first time since coming to the compound, she believed him.

XX

_All good things must come to an end._

The next morning found Alex and Natasha back in the boxing ring, matching each other blow for blow until they were each covered in a thin layer of sweat. After finding out they shared a similar understanding of the Russian language, the assassin had taken to speaking only in her native tongue around Alex. While Widow showed the teenager some of her most effective moves, Alex focused intently on learning everything she could. She had noticed that Natasha was more affectionate with her and Peter than she was with Stark or Colonel Rhodes, and she guessed the assassin had a soft spot for kids, just like the billionaire.

Once they finished their sparring session, they showered and changed (into clothes that actually fit her this time) and had lunch with Stark again, this time meeting some of the staff the Avengers kept on site. Everyone seemed very welcoming despite her less-than-legitimate entrance to the compound.

When they were done, Stark brought her down to the lab and they spoke for nearly two hours about the effects of her powers. She described her first memories of them, and how the power flows through her a little differently for each element.

"It's like...suddenly feeling as if you can do anything. It makes me strong, and confident. I'm more..._me_ when I use the elements." She struggled for the words, but it was the best she could do.

Stark was studying her with such intensity, Alex had to look away. He didn't move or speak for another few moments, and then suddenly he was on his feet pacing. His hands were flying through the air erratically, and he had to run his fingers through his hair multiple times.

"Uh...Stark?" She tried, feeling a little uneasy, as the billionaire muttered to himself.

He turned at the sound of her voice, and seemed to have come to a decision, because his eyes cleared and a smile broke out across his face. "How would you like to feel that again?"

She froze, unwilling to hope that Stark truly meant what he was saying. It was all too much. They wouldn't be able to control her without the cuffs, surely he knew that.

"Are-are you serious?" Alex asked slowly, hoping not to spook him.

Stark snorted, "Of course I'm serious. I've been wanting to get an up close and personal look at your powers since I saw that video of you in Elite. I'm a scientist, an engineer. I'm dying to know what makes you tick."

Her heart sank, "You...want to study me…" Suddenly picturing herself on a cold lab table while a bunch of doctors poked and prodded her with needles. Is that why everyone had been so kind to her? So that they could stick her in a lab at the end of all of this?

He seemed to have realized her train of thought, because his eyes got wide. "_Observe_ you, Alex. I don't want to experiment on you, for Christ's sake. What do you take me for? I just want to watch you do what you do. Maybe you could tell me exactly what you feel, or do to make each of the elements listen to you."

Stark picked up a small screwdriver from a workbench and walked over until he was directly in front of her. Alex met his eyes hesitantly, and he gave her a gentle smile. "Would that be okay? I just need to trust that you aren't going to fly out of here the moment I take these cuffs off."

She took a deep breath and nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She wouldn't leave the Avengers. She had promised to fight alongside them, and that's exactly what she would do. Stark seemed to accept this, taking the screwdriver and pushing the edge into the pad of his thumb, leaving a trail of blood bubbling to the surface.

He silently took her left wrist and placed his thumb along a small locking mechanism, and heard a satisfying click. Alex was sure that Stark could hear her heartbeat, because it felt like it was going to fly straight out of her chest. He repeated the motion with her right wrist, and paused only for a second before pressing his bloodied thumb forward.

The moment the cuffs were released, Alex jolted upright at the sudden flow of sheer power that raced through her veins, and she let out a delighted laugh. She stumbled backwards and flexed her hands, flashing a brilliant smile at Stark.

He matched her grin and chuckled, "I'm guessing it worked?"

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, feeling the familiar pull in her gut and sending the shockwaves into the air around her. A wild gust swirled around them, ruffling their hair and twisting it upwards. Stark huffed out a captivated laugh, and met her gaze. "This...this is incredible."

"Oh, we're just getting started."

Two hours later found them in the atrium on the first floor, surrounded by a thick layer of rock that a few wheelbarrows had brought inside. Stark didn't want prying eyes to watch her work outside, but he seemed perfectly content with Alex showing off for the Avengers' staff. She swirled the earth element around her body, making it flow alongside the few liters of water that someone had brought in and dance around the spectators while they _oohed_ and _awed_.

She was trying to morph the two elements together to create a sort of clay, where she would then mold it together and attempt to come up with some kind of fun shape, when Peter walked in.

"Whoa!" He burst, obviously ecstatic to see Alex using her powers again, and this time not against him. Stark walked over and gave Peter a quick side-hug and kissed his hair before pushing him off towards the elevator. "Go put your stuff in your room kid, then come back down and we can have some fun."

Alex shot him a wink, which he returned and promised her he'd be right back before shooting off towards the elevator.

The doors had only been closed five seconds before the alarm resonated throughout the compound and F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s harried voice rang out. "Incoming projectile from the South, Boss. Calculations indicate that it will collide in seven seconds."

Without thinking, Alex cried out, "Peter!" This attack could only mean that her father was coming to get her, just like she feared, and he would kill _anyone_ and _anything_ in his path. She had told the Avengers as much, and hoped that they understood a fraction of Joey's taste for blood.

Thankfully, Stark seemed to realize what she was trying to tell him. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., lock Peter in the elevator. Keep him _safe_!"

That was all he was able to get out before the world exploded.

She tried to throw up some kind of wall of protection, but she didn't have enough of any one element to really make a difference. The missile had shot through the outside wall, sending debris and sheetrock scattered throughout the atrium. Alex was thrown back against the far wall with a harsh _crack_, and she crashed into the ground, hard. Around her, muted screams echoed, and a faint ringing took root in her ears. She blinked a few times, trying to get her bearings and fight through the red haze, and sucked in a harsh breath at the sight.

Within the gaping hole that the missile had established, holding a massive gun obviously created from alien technology and sporting a strange metallic mask, was her father. She might not be able to see his face clearly, but she would know him from anywhere.

Alex glanced around the room, hoping to see an appearance of Iron Man, but instead witnessing a _massacre_. Men poured in from behind her father, all carrying some kind of weapon, freely unloading their ammunition into the room. She screamed in fury and shook herself from her temporary paralysis, and called fire into her palms. She was only able to take out half a dozen men before her insides turned to ice. Alex's body seized up, and she struggled to catch a breath as she sunk down to her knees. Horrifying black patterns stretched across her skin and she panicked internally, as she was unable to make any outward movement. Her eyes flickered around, and she spotted Stark lying on his side facing her. His gaze was positively murderous as he choked and stuttered.

A pair of heavy boots appeared in her line of vision, and the cold mask that covered her father's face bent down close to hers. "Tsk, tsk. Here I was expecting to rescue you from being locked away in a tower, _mi figlia._ Imagine my surprise to find that you are not only free to roam around, but you openly attack your own _family_." She couldn't see his expression behind the mask, but she imagined her father's lips were twisted downwards into a cruel frown. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, Alexandria."

He stepped forward again and placed two iron cuffs along her wrists, and she instantly felt the power within her veins dampen. She would have cried if she could move at all, but she was still paralyzed, as was the rest of the room.

"Put her on the ship." He commanded someone behind him, and another set of hands gripped her arms and thrust her upwards.

"Oh? What do we have here?" Joey's tone had suddenly become eager and delighted. Her heart sank, knowing he must have spotted his lifelong enemy.

"The great _Tony Stark_, just laying here waiting for me to end his life." He let out an amused laugh. "This is just my lucky day, isn't it boys?" Joey grabbed Stark by the collar and lifted him up. "I think we'll bring you back with us. I have plans for you." Alex's body wanted to shiver at his tone and scream at Joey to leave Stark out of this, but she was still frozen in place.

Her father looked between her and Stark for a few moments before coming to a decision. "Knock them both out." He commanded, and not two seconds later she felt a pinprick of a needle jabbing into her neck. Before she knew it, her vision was swimming, and she lost her focus.

They must have turned off the paralyzing device, because the black webbing was receding. As she felt her body finally begin to move again, screams echoed between her ears as her world went dark.


	19. Chapter 19

**Note: Definitely dropped the ball on updating yesterday. Anyway….Enter: The Star Spangled Man. Enjoy! As always, thank you so much for reading. And comments/follows/favorites are really appreciated!**

**Chapter 19**

As soon as elevator doors closed, cutting off Peter from the atrium, his spidey senses went off. Not two seconds later, a blast shook the compound and he was thrown harshly to the ground. Peter coughed as dust settled in the air, and he pushed himself up. He pounded on the elevator doors, yelling at F.R.I.D.A.Y. to open up so that he could check to see if everyone was alright.

"I'm sorry, Peter." And she sounded sorry, too. An AI that pretended to feel human emotion was NOT what he needed right now. "Boss has directed me to keep you here for your own safety."

Peter could have screamed. In fact, he did. "For MY safety? F.R.I.D.A.Y., you have to open the damn doors! Tony and Alex could be hurt right now! They need me!"

"I am detecting a device that would paralyze you the moment you stepped out into the atrium, Peter. There is nothing you can do." She informed him, suddenly weary.

He shook his head in disbelief and pounded against the now distressed metal, not leaving so much as a dent, even with his super strength. Whatever hit them must have really shaken the compound. Peter suddenly realized who could be attacking...and what that would mean, and redoubled his efforts. "NO! No! F.R.I.D.A.Y., they're going to take her!" Peter could feel the tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. "He's going to take her back! She's going to be in the hands of a monster, you have to let me save her!"

"I'm sorry, Peter. Both Miss Anderson and Mr. Stark were worried about your safety first. I cannot allow you to leave this elevator until the danger has passed."

Peter fell to his knees, and kept his ministrations at the doors until twenty minutes passed, and the terrifying noises and screams on the other side ceased. He looked up, and wiped the tears from his face.

As the doors slid open, F.R.I.D.A.Y.S.'s voice was quiet and somber. "I'm sorry, Peter. The authorities have been alerted."

The atrium was a disaster zone. The lights had been blown out, and the dust surrounding the room floated heavily in the air. Bodies were scattered randomly around, blood pooling and mixing together between people who had died too close. "Oh, God…" Peter cried out, stumbling to his feet. He forced himself to pick through the bodies, begging and sobbing for Alex and Tony. He honestly didn't think he could handle it if he saw them here, but the alternative was unthinkable. "TONY!" Peter screamed when he confirmed that the billionaire was missing from the dead. He spun around, hoping that someone, _anyone_ was around to help him. When he did, he saw it. Painted right there on the elevator doors in blood.

The Hydra symbol.

Peter dropped to his knees, his sobs wrenching through his body, and pulled out the cell phone.

XX

Steve Rogers was a simple man, really. He loved hot dogs and the Dodgers. He hated bullies. He liked to draw. He didn't sleep much.

And he kept the burner phone that contained only one number on his person at all times.

Guilt was a terrible thing, Steve knew that. He almost drowned in it when they first broke him out of the ice. Steve woke up to a world where all of his friends and family were dead, the woman he loved was steadily losing her mind, and Hydra had found a way to thrive despite his sacrifice.

He lived on while the people he was closest to lost their lives. Over time, he accepted his fate as a soldier. _The_ soldier. His country needed him, and following orders was familiar. Sooner than he expected, the world needed him, and he was thrown into a fight he wasn't prepared for. A team that wasn't really a team.

At least not at first. It took some time, but eventually everything clicked into place, and he had two master assassins, a lightning-wielding demigod, a scientist with astronomical anger management issues, and a genius billionaire running around in a suit of armor watching his back. After saving the world a few dozen times, shacking up in Stark-then Avengers- Tower, and clearing out the nearest grocery store together on numerous occasions, the word 'teammates' suddenly didn't encapsulate what they were anymore. The Avengers were his friends. His new family.

Things change, though. Good people make mistakes, making bad decisions suddenly seem like the right ones. Bombs go off, people die. Friendships are broken, and then get pieced back together.

Until they shatter completely.

Steve didn't regret a lot of things. Not after spending the first few months of his new life barely coming up for air in the deep trenches of Survivor's Guilt. But keeping the truth from the man who had become his best friend was something that would never leave him.

He didn't sleep much. Because when he did, Steve was bombarded by memories of his fight with Tony. The desperate need to make him understand, to apologize. To keep his two worlds from destroying each other. He remembered bringing his shield down on Tony's reactor, and Steve doesn't think he will ever forget the look on Tony's face. Of complete and utter betrayal. Anger. Possibly hatred.

Steve didn't blame him, not really. They were going to patch things up after Siberia. Bucky and Tony were going to be friends, teammates, allies, and Steve was going to take the fact that the Winter Soldier murdered Howard and Maria Stark when Tony was twenty-one years old to his grave. No one needed to know. And then the damn video ruined everything.

He had read Tony's file, of course. Steve learned that the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist had become Iron Man after being kidnapped and tortured after a weapons display in Afghanistan. What wasn't in the file was that the man who Tony thought loved him as a son, when his own father was nothing short of a monster, the man he trusted above all others, was the one who put out the hit on him.

He remembered Tony's hands shaking after one too many glasses of whiskey, and reaching out to steady him with a firm clasp to the shoulder. He remembered Tony running his fingers through his unruly hair and telling Steve that he wasn't sure he could really bring himself to trust someone like that again. Obadiah Stane had figuratively and literally ripped his heart out of his chest, and although he found a new one, Tony knew he wasn't really whole again. "_I've never been whole, not really_," Tony had said simply. "_But after Obie, no Stane, I just wasn't sure how to let people in anymore. Pepper and Rhodey understand, but I know it hurts them. I can't...I can't, Steve. I don't know how to do this anymore."_

Steve had destroyed six of Tony's reinforced punching bags that night. He had promised his friend that he would always have his back. That if Tony needed someone to talk to, to vent to, or to spar with, Steve would be there for him. They were friends, and Steve took that very, very seriously. Not many people knew the real Tony Stark. James Rhodes, Pepper Potts, and Steve Rogers were among the only people on the planet that knew that Tony's public face and attitude was an act, that he loved deeper and stronger than anyone else, even if he didn't really know how to show it. Instead of words of affirmation, or outwards displays of affection, Tony would develop new designs for Clint's arrows, or upgrade Natasha's Widow's Bite, or reconfigure the engine of Steve's motorcycle so it would stop making that nasty thrumming noise. Steve Rogers knew Tony Stark was more fragile than he would ever admit, and _still_ kept this secret from him.

He thought back to all of the different times he could have told Tony the truth. It would have been so easy. They would have fought, Tony would have been hurt, he would have had too much to drink, and he would have locked himself inside his lab for four days straight.

But then he would have come out, tired, angry, and exhausted, but ready to talk. To talk it out with Steve, because Steve always had his back. He would have understood that Bucky had been brainwashed, and what he needed was help, not a cell. They could have worked together to save him, rather than tearing each other apart in Siberia.

All of this pain, betrayal, and anger could have been avoided if Steve had just told the damn truth.

So, he didn't sleep much. And he always, always kept the burner phone on him. Just in case Tony needed him.

The phone didn't ring once. Not until nine months after Steve had disappeared off the grid with Sam, and let T'Challa put Bucky in the cryostasis chamber to fix his brain. Nine months since Wanda and Vision had reunited, and then promptly disappeared with a promise to return.

He was sitting inside of a small coffee shop in Apple Grove, North Carolina working on his landscape pieces when the phone went off. Steve instantly assumed it was one of the other patron's, since he had his pager with him. After a quick glance up, he realized he was the only one inside. Steve's pulse jumped erratically, and he fumbled towards his coat pocket. After the third ring, he took a deep breath and answered, his voice sounding just as desperate and relieved as he felt.

"_Tony_!"

There was a lot of crackling on the other end, and Steve was packing up his sketchbook frantically.

"Tony? Are you alright?"

"M-Mr. Rogers?" It wasn't Tony. Steve froze, his hackles rising.

"Who is this? Where did you get this number?"

The voice was breathing hard, cutting off in between sobs, and Steve had to keep himself from shouting for the mystery caller to answer his questions. "Th-this is Peter-_Spider-Man. _Tony-Mr. Stark. He's..he's...and Alex...I need your _help_."

Steve already had his pager out to call Sam. He ducked out of the coffee shop and around a deserted corner, dropping his voice low. "Spider-Man, _Peter_, where is Tony? What's going on?"

"H-Hydra. You have to come back. _Please_."

Xx

Peter cut off the call, folding the burner phone in his lap as he dropped his head between his knees. He didn't know what to do, his brain had completely shut off after calling Captain America, so he sat there helplessly until he heard someone shouting for him.

The sound didn't register at first, so he stayed where he was, shoulders still convulsing as the tears poured out of his eyes. Soft hands gripped his arms, and he flinched backwards into the wall. Natasha's face clouded his vision, and she was cupping his face while whispering in Russian. Peter blinked and she finally came into focus.

"Peter!" She breathed out a sigh of relief, and kissed both of his cheeks before leaning her forehead to his. "Peter, are you hurt? Are you okay?"

He shook his head, wincing as his voice cracked. "N-No. I'm not hurt. I was in the elevator when they came. F.R.I.D.A.Y. wouldn't let me out to help them. H-he took them, Nat. He has Alex and Tony." Peter couldn't help it, another round of sobs broke loose, and he let her pull him into her arms. He desperately needed the comfort.

She petted his hair and kept him close. "I know, маленький паук, I know. F.R.I.D.A.Y. called me. I came straight here. Rhodes is on a blackout mission for the Army, so I can't get ahold of him."

Sirens sounded in the distance, and Natasha looked up then pulled on his arms. "Come on, Peter, let me get you to your room. You can't be here when the police come."

He risked another look around, and instantly wished he hadn't. They were surrounded by no less than twenty dead bodies, all Avengers staff that he had met and liked. People he didn't really know well enough to remember their names, but knew they had families and loved ones. And a madman had murdered them all in the blink of an eye. And now that man had Alex and Tony...Peter shivered as he thought about what that meant.

Natasha kept a solid presence around Peter, and dragged him through the elevator doors, still coated with Hydra's symbol. She was silent the whole ride up, but he knew she had seen it. This had suddenly become a much bigger fight than they were expecting. Thankfully, the rest of the building seemed untouched, and they made it to his room with relatively little fuss. Peter was still shaking, and she just tugged him closer.

Inside, she pulled him to the bed, wrapping his comforter around them both, and curled Peter around her. Natasha pet his hair and whispered soothing words in Russian. When she noticed his death grip on the burner phone, she tapped his hand with her perfectly manicured finger. "What's this, маленький паук?"

Peter sucked in a breath, willing his teeth to stop their chattering. He held it closer to his body. "T-Tony gave it to me. I called Mr. R-Rogers with it."

Natasha stiffened, and tilted Peter's chin so that she could meet his eyes. "You called Steve with that phone?"

He nodded shakily, and Natasha swallowed. "Can I please see that, Peter?"

Peter hesitated for a moment before releasing it, and she kissed his hair. The assassin moved from her spot on the bed, and stood up, promising to return in just a moment. She hit redial and held the phone to her ear. With his enhanced hearing, he could pick up Steve's worried tone.

"Peter? Are you okay? We're on our way."

"No, Steve, this is Natasha."

If anything, the man was more distressed. "Is he okay? I just talked to him ten minutes ago."

"Yes, Peter's here with me. He's safe." Her tone was soothing, and Peter got the feeling it was for his benefit as much as Steve's.

"Oh, okay, good. Nat what the hell has been happening over there? How did you get mixed up with Hydra?"

"You have a lot to catch up on, Captain. We didn't know our target was Hydra until the attack. The man who we're after kidnapped Tony and another one of ours today."

"Alex right? Peter mentioned that name."

Natasha's eyes fluttered closed, as if it was painful to think about her. Peter shared in her sentiment. "Yes, Alex. Alex Anderson. She's an enhanced individual who's been under our care. Steve…she's important to us. To me."

The Captain paused for a moment, taking in the new information. "Then I guess we'll just have to save them both, won't we?"

"Yes, we need to get them both back. Alive and well, preferably. See you soon."

Natasha clicked the phone shut and returned to her spot on the bed and curled up around Peter. "You could hear him, right?" He nodded, not the least bit ashamed at eavesdropping. "The rest of the Avengers will be here tonight."

He looked down, a flare of hope rushing in his chest, and then suddenly shot straight up when he heard the fire department downstairs. "Oh god, I need to call May. If the news catches wind of this, she's going to freak out." Peter scrambled to get his backpack that had fallen on the floor, and fished out his phone. Sure enough, he had six missed calls from May, all with probably hysterical voicemails, three missed calls from Pepper, and twenty texts from Ned. Surprisingly, he also had four texts from MJ, which was weird, but he would think about that later. He was more worried about explaining this to May and Pepper, and he tried to calm his unsettled stomach.

Peter hit May's contact info and chewed on his nails when she picked up immediately. "Peter! Oh thank God, are you okay? I heard the Avengers Compound was attacked. What happened?"

He rubbed at his temple, trying to ease his throbbing headache. "I-I'm fine, May. I wasn't in the room when they attacked. But they killed a lot of the staff here, and kidnapped T-Tony and Alex." Peter took a deep breath and willed his aunt to listen. "May, I can't come home until they do. I have to be here to help get them back."

There was a few moments of silence before, "Oh, Peter...I know, love. I know you do. Do what you need to do, but please don't forget to check in. I'll be waiting to hear news. And...and good luck. I love you, Peter."

He wiped furiously at the corners of his eyes, where the tears had returned. "Thank you, May. I love you too." Peter let out a huff of breath and leaned into Natasha's touch when she soothed his hair again. He sent a quick text to Ned and MJ without reading their earlier messages, and tucked it back into his pocket.

"I don't know how I'm going to tell Pepper what happened." He closed his eyes again, dreading his next phone call. Even though he desperately wanted to hear Pepper's voice, he wasn't sure he could be the one to tell her that Tony was gone, and Peter hadn't been able to do anything about it.

Natasha pulled his phone from his hand, "You let me worry about that." She kept a firm hand on the nape of his neck while she hit Pepper's contact information to redial. She put the phone on speaker so that Peter could speak if he wanted.

"Peter?" He instantly felt a spike of panic at hearing her voice. She was worried, and he could practically picture her pacing frantically within the confines of her Malibu office.

The assassin spoke for him, and Peter was undeniably relieved. "Pepper? This is Nat. Peter's here with me, and he's safe."

Pepper let out a rush of breath, obviously relieved. "Oh thank God, what the hell is going on? No one is answering their phones. Where's Tony?"

"Alex's father attacked the compound, backed by Hydra. He took both Alex and Tony with him, and left about twenty of our staff members behind dead. I have Conway handling the police downstairs while I stay with Peter."

"Oh God." Pepper huffed, obviously trying to reign in her emotions. Peter imagined that her hand was cupped over her mouth as she did so. "I can't leave Malibu until this evening, but I'll be there in the morning. Peter, can you hear me?"

He squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm here."

"Peter, I want you to listen to me very carefully, okay?" She waited a moment before continuing. "Tony and Alex are going to be okay. You're going to help save them, I know you will. Tony is a strong man; he's survived much worse than this, and has always come out on top. Do you believe me?"

Peter struggled to find words, but he finally was able to choke them out. "Y-yes. Yes, I believe you."

She seemed satisfied with his answer. "Good. Peter? I love you. I'm glad you're safe. Stay with Nat. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Love you too, Pep." Natasha ended the call for him, and he looked up at her wearily. "What do we do now?"

She kissed his forehead again and moved off the bed. "Now, you shower and sleep. I'm going to check in downstairs with Conway and review footage of the attack until the others get here."

When he tried to protest, she cut him off. "Do not argue with me here, Peter. I know you want to help, but I need you awake and alert for this. Get cleaned up, and then sleep. I will wake you the moment the Quinjet arrives."

Peter nodded, still a little terrified to defy Black Widow's orders, and grabbed some clothes from his dresser. Before he ducked into the bathroom, he looked back over his shoulder. "We will get them back, right?"

Natasha raised her chin up, looking every bit as powerful and beautiful as an avenging angel. "Yes, Peter. And then the people who did this will pay. I promise."


	20. Chapter 20

**Note: Happy Friday! Only 7 more chapters to go! Things will be picking up from here on out. Thanks so much to everyone who has read/favorited/followed/commented on this story. I worked really hard on it, so it really makes my day when someone likes it. **

**Chapter 20**

When consciousness finally returned to Alex, the first thing she noticed was the throbbong in the back of her skull, giving her a monster of a headache, and _dammit_ that hurt like a son of a bitch.

The second thing she noticed was that she was unable to move her hands to rub at the offending damage like she wanted to. Alex blinked groggily, and sucked in a harsh breath when her vision swam with red before clearing up, revealing a familiar dark setting.

The Fold.

She wrenched against the chains that twisted her wrists out to the side. They hadn't made any move to string her up higher, thank God, so her feet were still planted squarely on the floor. A noise to her left caused Alex to flinch away, disturbed at how she hadn't noticed someone else in the room.

It was eerily dark around her, but she was able to make out a faint blue triangle illuminating her cellmates' face.

_Stark_.

Alex struggled against the chains again, whispering harshly, "Stark! Hey!" Relief flooded through her at the knowledge that he was still alive, but then a string of curses fell from her lips. "Shit, shit, shit." Joey _hated_ Stark, and he was hell bent on shedding blood. Her father had wanted the billionaire to himself for ten whole years, and she could only imagine what he had planned now that he had him. Joey was going to _kill_ him, she realized with sinking dread, and her insides contorted painfully at the thought.

Stark was a good man, and didn't deserve to die. After all that he had given her, all that he had trusted her with in the short time she had known him, Alex couldn't allow him to die. _Wouldn't_ allow it. Just the thought of Peter's reaction made her want to wretch. Peter _loved_ Stark, and he would be devastated if anything happened to him.

Alex watched the outline of Stark's unconscious form with increasing intensity, promising herself that she would do whatever it took to keep him alive.

XX

Peter didn't sleep well.

Of course, that didn't come as a surprise whatsoever, seeing as though his second home had been attacked, and his friend and father figure had been kidnapped by a madman. He was still sweating from the passing nightmare, so he crept into the bathroom to wash his face.

Looking at his gaunt cheeks, Peter recognized the look behind his cloudy eyes. He had moved past the shock and desperation he felt after the attack, leaving only unrelenting anger in its wake. A deep, seething rage that only festered as soon as he was able to put a name to the emotion.

Tony was _gone_. Alex was _gone_. And Peter was left with Captain freaking America. There was a time that his hero worship of the super soldier rivaled his appreciation of Iron Man, but ever since he witnessed Tony's panic attack at just _talking_ about Siberia, Peter resented the man.

And now he had to rely on the guy who betrayed Tony to save him. He didn't regret calling Mr. Rogers, but he wished that he didn't have to. Peter hated, _hated_ the fact that he wasn't able to help stop Alex's father. They had promised Alex they would protect her, and look what happened. He felt useless. The only productive thing he had done to help was calling Captain America to save the day.

"Peter?" Natasha called from the other side of the door. He quickly dried off his face and went to meet her. She had changed from her skinny jeans into the Widow catsuit, which meant she was all business from here on out. Peter kind of appreciated it, considering the situation. "They're here."

He felt a chill run up his spine in anticipation, and pulled on a hoodie from his closet before following her out the door. Peter vaguely wondered when half of his clothes had ended up at the Compound.

Natasha's hard gaze softened as he met her in the hall, and she brought a hand up to ghost the nape of his neck. She led him to the main living area silently, and he sucked in a sharp breath as they came across everyone else.

Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, and Vision stood huddled around the large couches, speaking softly to one another. The last time Peter had seen any of them was in Germany, and he had been wearing his Spider-Man suit. When he and Natasha entered, they quieted immediately. Peter felt a spike of white-hot rage when his eyes fell on the darkened suit with the faded white star, and he was sure that the Captain noticed his immediate disdain. Even if he did, that didn't stop the man from breaking apart from the others and moving to stand in front of him with his hand out. "Peter? I'm Steve Rogers. We haven't officially met. Thank you for calling me."

Peter scowled, but May had taught him to be polite no matter the circumstances, so he shook the man's hand before pulling it away quickly like it burned. He didn't want to deal with pleasantries while Tony and Alex were in trouble. "I wouldn't have if I thought I could find them on my own."

Mr. Rogers nodded; brow furrowed in confusion at Peter's animosity, but tried to move forward anyway. "There's no shame in asking for help, son, especially with something this important."

Natasha must have known about Peter's feelings toward their dear Captain, because she stepped forward and eyed Mr. Rogers until he got the message and gave them some space. He coughed awkwardly and resumed his stance at attention. "What's the situation?"

"Based on our surveillance feed, I was able to determine that the _capofamiglia_ of the Genovese crime family, or the _capo di tutti capi _as Miss Anderson refers to him, was indeed the one who attacked the compound. He used an array of weaponry created from alien technology, penetrating the atrium walls efficiently, and taking out twenty-one of the staff members on site mercilessly. The video footage confirmed that Genovese did in fact complete his mission, which was to retrieve his daughter, Alex Anderson, as well as take Tony prisoner." Natasha clipped, slipping into Black Widow's guise.

Mr. Rogers responded almost immediately. "I'll need to see the footage. I would also like for someone to explain to me how an Enhanced individual from the largest crime family in New York came to stay at the Avengers Compound, and how Hydra is involved in all of this."

Natasha gave a slight smirk and motioned downwards. "It's kind of a long story, Cap, you all might want to sit down for this."

The Captain's eyes flickered to Peter before nodding and moving towards one of the couches. Almost as soon as he relaxed from his position, so did the rest of his team. Natasha must have seen Peter eyeing them, because she settled her hand across his neck again and gave a slight push to bring down into the loveseat with her. "That's Sam, Wanda, and Vision." She spoke loud enough to catch the Avengers' attention. "This is Peter. He's Spider-Man, and one of us."

Sam Wilson narrowed his eyes at Peter. "I remember you. That webbing of yours did a good amount of damage to my wings. It took at least two hours to disintegrate."

Another spike of anger rushed through Peter as he remembered the fight. At the time, he thought it was so cool that he was a) fighting _alongside_ the Avengers, and at the same time, b) fighting _against_ the Avengers. Now it was just a cruel reminder of what Germany was leading up to. "I upgraded them so that they last at least _four_ hours now." Peter warned, trying to channel some of his frustration into his tone, but it came out sounding a little bratty instead. Natasha noticed and she squeezed his neck gently again.

Wanda watched him carefully, and sunk into Vision's outstretched arm. "I am also interested in Miss Anderson's story, and why it is so critical that we retrieve her. I would have thought Stark would be our main priority."

Natasha didn't react outwardly, but Peter knew her well enough to know she was tense by the way her nostrils flared slightly. "We first became aware of Alex Anderson five weeks ago. There was a video feed taken from the tailor shop, _Elite_, where known members of the Five Families congregated. It was there that we witnessed her elemental powers. She is able to manipulate air, fire, earth, and water to her will."

Sam gave an impressed whistle, but let Natasha continue. "We tracked her for the next few weeks, always a step behind her retrieval of known alien technology shipments, until Spider-Man had an encounter with her at an industrial yard in Queens."

She raised an eyebrow at him, silently encouraging him to take over. Peter rubbed his hands on the top of his pants to try and remove the accumulating sweat. "Um, yeah. I was out later than normal on one of my patrols, and we crossed paths. We talked for a while, and then fought until she put me down, hard." He winced at the memory.

"What did you talk about?" Mr. Rogers asked, his focus completely settled on Peter.

He squirmed under the gaze. "Er, nothing important really. It was more like fun banter. She goes by Shadowbreath, which she later explained was her title as the Enforcer for her family. But at the end of the fight, I was able to get her mask off, and see that she wasn't any older than me. The camera in my suit helped us determine her identity."

Vision cocked his head to the side in surprise, "The Enforcer for the Genovese Family is a sixteen year old girl? I'd very much like to know how that happened."

Natasha picked up the story before the peanut gallery could ask any more questions. "F.R.I.D.A.Y. was able to use the facial recognition software to match Shadowbreath's face to Alex Anderson, who was kidnapped ten years ago just after her sixth birthday."

"And her parents?" Wanda asked, a little subdued.

"Murdered." Natasha answered, sharp and calculated. "The Genovese Family staged the kidnapping to manipulate the perspective of their target. They sent in a group of hostiles first, killing Alex's parents and then advancing on her, before a second group came in led by Joey Genovese to "save the day." They made her believe that she had been rescued."

Peter's stomach churned uneasily, the way it always did when he thought about Alex's upbringing. He couldn't imagine how scared she must have been that night, and then how devastating it was to realize that the last ten years of your life had been a lie.

"So she was brought up by the Genovese Family, working and fighting for them until…" Mr. Rogers prodded.

"Until she was on a mission to steal the Arc Reactor from Tony's lab in the Compound. Her accomplices were able to get away with it, but we succeeded in capturing Miss Anderson. She was uncooperative at first. We showed her the real footage from the night her parents were killed, and she was…shocked, to say the least." Natasha took in a steadying breath. "Once she realized that the family she had been living with for the past ten years were murderous liars...she grew on us. Alex somehow became part of whatever we have working here, I'm still not quite sure how it happened." She shrugged, but a fond smile was pulling at her lips.

Sam leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "So how do we know that she didn't just play you guys? She could still have been working for her family the whole time right? And then just helped her mob boss daddy kidnap Stark."

Peter wasn't sure when it happened, but before he knew it, he was on his feet and yelling down at Sam's surprised face. "You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about! Alex wouldn't do that! She's a good person, and she trusted us! She trusted us to keep her safe! Alex liked Tony; she wouldn't let anything happen to him if she could help it. How _dare_ you suggest that she helped her _shit_ dad take Tony and kill a whole bunch of innocent people!"

Mr. Rogers had stood up as well, and placed a placating hand on Peter's shoulder to hold him back, but Peter just slapped it away. "No! Don't touch me. If you aren't going to offer anything useful, then leave! It's what you're good at!"

The super soldier looked as if he had been slapped, but still waited out Peter's mini-tirade patiently before trying again. "Peter, Sam is sorry that he suggested something like that, he wasn't aware of how close you two had gotten." He eyed Sam dangerously, and the Falcon obviously caught on.

"Er, yeah. My bad."

Peter ignored him. "Whatever. There, you have Alex's story now." He curled his hands into fists and looked at a point past Mr. Rogers' shoulders, not trusting himself to meet the super soldier's eyes without exploding again. "She was out in the atrium with Tony and a bunch of the staff members when I got here after school. Alex was showing them a demonstration of her abilities...it was incredible. Beautiful, even. I just needed to drop off my backpack in my room before I could come down and watch."

Peter let out a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "I was in the elevator for maybe five seconds before her dad attacked. F.R.I.D.A.Y. locked me in the there, so I couldn't do anything. I was just stuck there while everything was going on." He brushed an angry tear from the corner of his eye. "When I finally got out everyone was _dead_. It was…it was like a war zone. Tony and Alex were gone, and the Hydra symbol was painted onto the elevator doors."

Natasha brushed her fingers through his hair, and Peter's body instantly unclenched. She led him back towards his seat, and continued for him. "I was out doing some recon for S.H.I.E.L.D. at the time of the attack. When I came back, I had Conway handle the situation downstairs. He spoke with the police and firefighters, and contacted the families of the deceased. Pepper is taking care of everything from there, she will be here in the morning. We have a team coming in tomorrow to fix the damage to the atrium."

The Captain nodded, his mouth straightened in a tight line. "And Hydra? Did you have any idea?"

The assassin pursed her lips. "No. Alex mentioned that she believed her father was seeking help from an outside organization, but we had no reason to believe that it was Hydra, of all things. I'm not sure what the world's greatest terrorist organization wants with the New York crime families."

"Well, let's watch the footage of the attack, and maybe we can find out."

Natasha nodded and turned to Peter, but he cut her off before she could say anything. "I'm watching it, Nat. I know you want me to go back in my room and let you guys figure this out, but I'm not going anywhere. Tony and Alex need me."

She considered him for a moment before placing a finger under his chin. "Very well. Just...prepare yourself, маленький паук,. It's not for the faint of heart."

And it wasn't. Peter thought he was going to be sick as he watched Alex's father, _Joey_, he reminded himself, tear through three people with his terrifying gun. The madman was obviously surprised that Alex was fighting back, and took out the paralyzing device before she could do too much damage to his men. He watched as both Alex and Tony seized not five feet from each other, fear and anger clear as day reflected in their eyes. Peter had to rub at his temples to calm his growing tension headache. He didn't want to see them disappear from the camera's view. He didn't want to see the bloodshed he knew had ensued.

When Natasha finally shut off the screen, the room was silent for a while. It was Mr. Rogers who broke the silence. "She was very brave. Her and Tony's first thought was to protect you, Peter. You must mean a lot to both of them."

Guilt struck a cord deep within his chest, and Peter sucked in a harsh breath. That...wasn't what he wanted to hear. On some level, he knew it was true. Tony was...it was hard to put into words. But Alex had said it perfectly for him: Peter loved Tony like he would his own dad. Peter thought of Tony as his dad. Someone that took care of him, someone who loved and supported him, someone who would put his safety and well being ahead of his own. Peter was like a son to Tony.

And Alex was his friend. He had known that from the very beginning. Peter had this intense instinct that she would need him during this entire experience, and he hadn't been wrong yet. For some reason or another, Alex had clung to him, trusted him. They had become fast friends, and Peter knew on some random spiritual level that he wasn't ready to dig deep into yet, that they would become something like a family if given the right environment. Alex would be just as integrated into the Avengers lives as he was if things had progressed, and her evil jerk of a father hadn't gone and screwed everything up.

So yeah, Peter knew what Mr. Rogers was saying. He meant something to Tony and Alex, just like they meant something to him.

"Then you can understand why I need to get them back." He responded flatly, hoping to move onto the productive part of this conversation.

The super soldier sent a look over his shoulder at his team, who eyed him and Natasha thoughtfully, before turning back and nodding. "Then let's discuss how to do just that."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Alexandria, be reasonable about this! I _saved_ you, _mi fliglia_." Joey yelled, throwing his hands into the air.

She scoffed, and spit in his direction, yanking on her chains again. "Reasonable? Are you out of your damn mind? You kidnapped me, you lunatic! You didn't save me!"

He growled, "Where did you ever get that ridiculous idea? Is this why you attacked us back there? If you would just calm down for one second, you would be able to see that this is all just a big misunderstanding."

Stark squirmed in his spot, mouthing at his gag, trying to warn her against believing Joey. But he didn't have to worry, Alex was seeing her father in the right light for the first time in her life. The heat behind his eyes she used to believe was love was nothing more than a desire for power. She was his ticket to the big leagues, and he wouldn't let her go for anything. This man used her for ten years, and she would be damned if he so much as touched her again.

"It's not a fucking misunderstanding, Father," She spat, "I saw the video of that night. Yeah, I bet you didn't know there was a video." Alex huffed smugly. "I saw you drive up to my house with those two vans, and I watched you speak with the man who killed my parents, and _then I watched him leave, alive_!" She bellowed, unable to hold back her fury any longer.

She would have laughed at Joey's pale expression if her body wasn't shaking so badly. He blinked slowly, obviously trying to process the fact that he had truly lost his Asset. There was no doubt in her mind that Joey was a monster. Alex was able to pinpoint the exact point when his confusion translated to anger, because he turned to Stark in what could only be described as sheer hatred. She froze, silently willing her father's attention to return to her.

"You did this!" Joey accused, bringing his fist across across Stark's face. The billionaire grunted behind his gag, and tried to shake away the pain. "You-" another punch, "-took-" a kick to the stomach, "-her-" a hit to the shoulder, "-away!" Another fist to face.

"_No_!" Alex screamed, catching his attention again. "It's _your_ fault! Not his! I _hate_ you! As soon as I get out of these chains, I'm going to RIP you to shreds. Do you hear me? I'm going to make you regret the day you even thought about coming into my home!"

Joey stopped and stuttered as she ranted, and then composed himself. "You're going to wish you hadn't just threatened me, Alexandria." He tilted his chin up to the ceiling, "Bring the camera in."

Her father glared at Alex, a deep, seething, fury glinting in his expression. "I was going to kill Stark quickly, but now you've given me every reason to milk him for everything he's worth. He's not going to get away with turning my own daughter against me."

Joey stepped in front of the billionaire and leaned in close, "Congratulations, Mr. Stark, you've just become a hostage."

XX

The video came in four hours after the Avengers arrived at the compound.

It was directly emailed to Pepper, CEO of Stark Industries, who sent the video to F.R.I.D.A.Y. "Agent Romanoff," the usually pleasant voice was now distressed, and everyone in the Common Room tensed, "Miss Potts has requested that I play a video sent to her by Boss' kidnappers."

The television roared to life, and the Avengers were on their feet in an instant. Natasha held out an arm to stop Peter from stepping forward. Mr. Rogers' eyes widened at the screen, "Peter, maybe you should-"

Before the Captain could tell him not to watch, the image of Tony chained to a wall appeared in front of them. Peter cringed next to Natasha, who reached out for his hand. The billionaire's face was bleeding, and new bruises were forming on his cheek and underneath his darkened eyes. A ball gag was shoved into his mouth, and Peter could see his lips trying to work around it. Tony was moving against the chains, and his eyes kept flickering to his right.

A deep, sinister voice sounded behind the camera. "Good Evening Miss Potts, may I present to you Mr. Tony Stark, the great and powerful Iron Man…" Light danced across his chains, and the billionaire seized in place, the electricity tearing through his body. Peter's eyes flickered to Mr. Rogers, who had just shattered the coffee mug he was holding by gripping it too tight.

"I'm going to make this very simple for you, my dear." The voice sounded again with an undertone of humor. "I want twenty million dollars transferred into the bank account included in this email every day through October thirteenth, totalling one hundred million dollars. If a day goes by without the money, or if what's left of your Avengers attempts to rescue Mr. Stark, then I will return him to you in pieces."

Peter's knees gave out on him, and he was suddenly being held up by both Mr. Rogers and Natasha.

"I will expect the first transfer to be complete by noon today." A short, stocky man appeared on screen with a metal mask covering his face. "In case you needed a little extra motivation…" The man within the frame must have gotten his queue from the threatening voice, because he took a sharpened knife from it's holder, and in one fluid motion, sliced through the skin on Tony's upper left arm before repeating the motion on his right. A deep red liquid seeped out of the fresh wounds, dripping against the metal flooring with echoing distinctiveness.

Tony gave a strangled scream from behind his gag, and Peter's hand flew to his mouth as he fought back against the bile rising in his throat.

"I'll keep him from bleeding out the moment the money is in the account." The man on screen stepped away, leaving the camera to resume its focus on Tony. "Remember Miss Potts, I will know if you alert the authorities. I will know if your precious, broken Avengers attempt to stage a rescue. If you want Mr. Stark alive, and in one piece, then you would do well to follow my instructions."

Without another word, the screen switched off, and a heavy silence stretched across the room. After a few moments, the invisible cord snapped, and everyone started yelling at once.

"ENOUGH!" The Captain roared, cutting off his team's obvious freak out. His skin had paled, and Peter noticed an unmistakable shaking in his hands. "We need to contact Miss Potts, but the best course of action would be to listen to the man. We can't risk making a move right now."

"What?" Peter asked in utter disbelief, his mouth gaping. "You want us to wait five _fucking_ days before rescuing them? They're going to kill him! And who knows what they are doing to Alex! _Fuck you_!"

Behind them, daylight was beginning to trickle through the window. The orange hue was distracting, and Peter just wanted to web the shades down so that he wouldn't be reminded of the passing of time. Every minute they spent here _talking_ meant another minute of Tony being tortured, and he didn't even want to think about what might be happening to Alex.

And now Captain _fucking_ America wanted to wait until the threatened deadline before striking, leaving their people stuck with that madman for five _fucking_ days. Peter gripped the sides of his hair and wanted to scream. The Gala Military Ball was on the thirteenth, and there was no way it was a coincidence that Joey Genovese had chosen it for the final ransom to be paid. He wasn't just going to give Tony back to them after all of this, and Steve was a fool if he thought the madman would just play ball.

"Since when does the Peter Parker I know use that kind of language?" A painfully familiar voice sounded behind him, and Peter spun around to find Pepper Potts exiting the elevator in her expensive heels, looking as deadly and beautiful as ever. The relief that spread through him at seeing her was unparalleled, and he let out a strangled noise at the back of his throat.

"Pepper!" He completely disregarded any hope of acting like a mature adult in a room of superheros in lieu of rushing into Pepper's outstretched arms and burying his face in her neck. The moment they collided, Peter felt another rush of emotion and choked back a sob. Everything was going to be okay. Pepper was here, and she would make Mr. Rogers understand that they couldn't wait that long to save Tony and Alex.

She hugged him tight and kissed his hair before pulling back far enough so that she could see his face. She cupped his cheeks, "Shh, shh, don't cry, Peter. It's going to be okay." Pepper's eyes snapped up to the Avengers scattered around, "I've already transferred the first round of money to the bank account, so hopefully that bastard keeps his word and stops the bleeding."

Mr. Rogers exhaled, and his shoulders relaxed an inch. "Thank you Miss Potts. That will give us some time to come up with a plan."

Pepper nodded curtly, and returned her attention to Peter. "Are you okay, sweetheart? You look awful. You need to sleep, Peter. And when was the last time you ate?"

Okay, maybe he should have expected a little bit of mothering from the woman, but he was still thrown off kilter. He didn't need to sleep; he didn't _want_ to sleep until they found their friends. Tony was being tortured for Christ's sake. Although, she might have a point about his food intake. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, since he had been too excited to see Alex use her powers to eat at school, and Peter could definitely feel his body moving at an exceptionally slower rate than normal. "Er...breakfast?"

Her eyebrows shot to her hairline, and her tone was murderous. "_Yesterday_?"

Peter instantly understood how Pepper Potts ran a multi-billion dollar company and made it look easy, she was absolutely terrifying when she had a set goal in mind. He nodded sheepishly, and looked down to the floor. She kept an arm around his shoulders, as if protecting him from the other Avengers. "What's wrong with you people?" She hissed, "Could you not tell that he looks like something out of the Night of the Living Dead?" Peter flushed, regretting saying anything. "Get him some food, _now_, before I use my Loui Vuitton stilettos to slice you up and feed him your unobservant brains."

There was a beat of silence before everyone moved at once. No matter how divided the team got, no one dared to defy Pepper Potts when she gave a direct order. Wanda and Vision sprung into the kitchen to see what food was available (the answer was none, because they were due for a grocery run), Sam and Mr. Rogers grabbed the take out menus off of the refrigerator magnets and started putting in calls to the Thai food and pizza places that were listed, and Natasha looked embarrassed at not noticing Peter's diminishing demeanor and slipped into the elevator, most likely to grab him something from the cafeteria.

Before Peter could protest, Pepper pulled him into another hug while everyone was off searching for food. "Really Peter, are you okay?"

He squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears that threatened to fall again. "I'm not hurt, Pep." He blinked until his vision cleared. "I'm just so angry that I wasn't able to do anything to help. Tony made F.R.I.D.A.Y. lock me in that elevator, so I was just sat there completely useless. I don't understand why he wouldn't just let me help. And now...and now...it's my fault they're gone."

"Oh, Peter. It's not," She insisted vehemently. "It's not. You should probably know something." He gave her a confused look, and she smiled softly at him. "When you started spending your weekends here at the Compound, Tony reprogrammed F.R.I.D.A.Y. so that while you're on the premises, her number one priority is ensuring your safety, even before his own. Even before mine."

Peter blinked, unable to comprehend what she was telling him. F.R.I.D.A.Y. was Tony Stark's first line of defense, heck; she was the _Avengers'_ first line of defense at the Compound. And Tony had reprogrammed her to protect him, instead of himself or Pepper? "But...I don't understand."

Pepper ran a hand through his hair. "I think you do. Peter, you aren't just some kid who stays here sometimes. Tony and I love you like you are ours, even when we share you with May. Your safety is our top concern, and if the attack on the Compound was going to happen, he would have preferred that you were safe. I'm sure that wherever he is, he's able to have peace of mind knowing that you're home, and that you're coming for him."

Peter could have cried right then and there, and there would have been some nasty waterworks that possibly could have drowned the likes of Captain America, but the arrival of food and the monumental growling of his stomach cut off any sort of response he had to Pepper. Her muffled laugh broke the spell between them, and she ushered him into the dining room, taking the seat to his left. When Mr. Rogers tried to take the empty seat to his right, Natasha appeared out of nowhere and placed a hand on the table and raised an eyebrow at the man.

He must have gotten the message, because he backed away slowly and moved around the table, taking the spot across from Peter. The food was spread out all along the table, and nobody wasted anytime digging into the dishes. As soon as he took the first bite, Peter could feel his body perk up in response. He must have been feeling a lot rougher than he thought, considering that six slices of pizza had been cleaned off his plate before he could think properly again.

Pepper broke the food-induced silence, "So, have you figured out a plan to rescue Tony and Alex yet? I want the monster who took them to pay." Her classy tone dropped, low and threatening.

The food in Peter's stomach churned when he was reminded of their earlier conversation. He pointed at Mr. Rogers with his chopsticks, now turning to Thai Food since he finished his helpings of pizza. "He wants to wait until the Ball to save them. Five days, Pep. Five days! He wants to listen to the kidnappers!"

Before the Captain could defend himself, Natasha explained. "Alex was positive that it was going to be next to impossible to break into the Genovese Family mansion while the alien weaponry was inside. We know that they plan on attacking the White House during the Gala Military Ball, so Steve suggested we follow through with our original plan."

"But they're hurting Tony! And who knows what they're doing to Alex! What if they kill them? What if we go in and it's too late? Alex's father isn't just going to hand either of them over at the end of this!" Peter cried, violently stabbing at his pork. He couldn't believe they were even having this conversation.

The room tensed again as they waited for Pepper's reaction. Given their innate fear of the woman, he understood their hesitance. Finally, she picked up her neatly folded napkin and dabbed at the corners of her mouth before setting it back in her lap. "I think we should trust Steve's judgment on this."

Peter could practically feel the surprise in the room; even his own mouth was gaping like a fish. "You-what? You can't be serious, especially after-"

"Peter." She cut off, looking fiercely determined. "You and I might have our respective opinions on him regarding his argument with Tony, but we cannot doubt that Steve wants to rescue Tony just as badly as we do. He's Captain America for a reason, and if we want to save our people, then we have to trust him on this, okay? Tony gave you that phone for a reason. He trusted Steve enough to keep you safe, and you're going to have to respect that decision."

The churning was now a well-developed heavy pit. A flush of embarrassment at being reprimanded in front of the Avengers crept across his cheeks, and he settled his eyes in his lap and nodded. He couldn't face Pepper's sharp eyes right now, considering how he acted, and he definitely didn't want to guess what was running through the others' minds right now. "Okay, I'm sorry." He whispered, and pushed back from the table. Suddenly he couldn't stand to be in the same room as everyone else anymore. "I-I'll be in my room."

He ignored a round of calls behind him, shutting him off from the Avengers with a slam of the bedroom door. Peter hurriedly grabbed a pair of boxer briefs, sweatpants, and a t-shirt from his dresser before locking himself in the bathroom. He turned on the water, stripping his clothes off before stepping inside and letting the scalding shower wash across his skin. Peter lasted all of two minutes before he burst into tears again. He was angry, devastated and embarrassed all at the same time, and he hated feeling so many emotions at once. Peter hadn't felt this overwhelmed since he was stuck underneath a building the night of his homecoming. His breaths came in shallow pants, and he had to brace himself against the tiles.

XX

"Richter?"

"_Reden_. Speak."

Joey swallowed past the burning lump in his throat. "The Asset has been compromised. We'll need a team for the programming."

A few moments of silence before, "I'm sending an officer to the mansion to prepare. An old friend of the family's, you could say. My team will arrive the thirteenth for programming. You have failed us, Genovese. Be prepared to face the consequences."

He didn't have time to respond or explain before the call was ended, and Joey was left to his imagination on what consequences he could expect.

XX

It took a few minutes to get himself under control, but after he was clean and fed, Peter had to admit that he felt better. When he was dry and snuggled into his pajamas, he opened up the bathroom door to find Captain America sitting on his bed. "Holy shit!" he jumped back, flinging himself against the wall...and sticking to it.

"Sorry! Sorry, I-" Mr. Rogers cut off, head cocked to the side when he saw Peter's fingertips and bare feet attached to the wall.

Peter cursed under his breath and forced himself to calm down. After a few seconds, he was able to retract his limbs. He ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed again.

"Huh, Spider-Man." Mr. Rogers said, as if Peter's superhero name made something click inside his mind. But he blinked, and looked sheepish again. "I'm sorry, Peter, I didn't mean to scare you, I was just hoping to talk."

Peter swallowed thickly, and crossed his arms across his chest as he leaned back against the wall. "Talk about what?"

Steve sighed, and met Peter's gaze. "I know you and Tony are close, kid. I didn't realize how close until tonight. Based on your attitude towards me, I have to assume that he told you about Siberia?"

Peter froze, knowing what was coming next. Captain America was going to give him an array of excuses, tell him that it wasn't his fault, that it was really Tony in the wrong. That he didn't understand the circumstances and had it all wrong. Peter would argue, and he would yell, and Captain America would sit there patiently while the sixteen-year-old kid defended the former Merchant of Death.

"I see. Listen, Pete. I...I want you to know that not telling Tony about his parents is the single biggest mistake of my life. Right in front of leaving him alone in Siberia and not being here to help when he was taken."

What?

Peter blinked, confused. That wasn't what he was expecting at all.

Mr. Rogers' fists curled tightly, white knuckles evident. "I didn't want things to change between us. I knew Tony would be understandably upset and angry, but I was scared about what would happen if he found out. I was a coward, and Tony deserved better than that. He still does. He was one of my best friends, and I hurt him. I'm sorry for that."

Peter was silent, but slid his back down the wall until he sat on the wooden floor.

"I gave him the phone as a way to tell him that I still cared, that I was willing to do whatever it took to rebuild our friendship. But he didn't call, and I don't blame him for that. Now that I know he gave it to you...it changes things, Peter." Those bright blue eyes were fixed on him now, and Peter squirmed under the gaze.

"How?"

Mr. Rogers gave him a small smile. "It means that he still trusted me, at least in the sense that he believed that I could keep you safe if it ever came down to it. When we get him back, and _we will_, Tony and I have a long road to recovery, but at least now I know that it's possible, because of you."

Peter wasn't sure what to say to that, so he just nodded. This was...good. If Captain America and Iron Man could patch things up then the Avengers stood a chance of getting back together. And the world definitely needed them to be together.

"And I know five days is a long time." Mr. Rogers started, and Peter's eyes snapped back up to his face. "But we won't be sitting around doing nothing. I want the whole team here to help save Tony and your friend Alex, or at least the ones who are here on Earth. I don't want there to be even a chance that we let them slip through our fingers."

Peter furrowed his brow, "But Mr. Rogers, aren't Hawkeye and Ant-Man on house arrest? How would we bring them in?"

Minute laughter danced across the Captain's blue eyes. "Peter, please call me Steve. Mr. Rogers makes me feel every bit as old as I actually am." He chuckled tightly again, and smiled at Peter. "And from what Pepper tells me, you're kind of a genius. I was hoping you could help us out with that."

Something that felt dangerously like hope bubbled up within Peter's chest. Captain America was asking for his help. He wasn't going to bench him, or kick him to the sidelines while the Avengers ran off to save Tony and Alex. Peter reflected Steve's grin. "Tell me what you want me to do."

XX

Tony Stark hated being kidnapped. It was the same damn story every time since he was six years old. The bad guys caught him unawares, they locked him up with promises to throw away the key unless the demands were met, the ransom was paid, or the weapons they wanted were built. In the end, it never worked out well for his captors.

He knew how to handle criminals who wanted something from him. However, as he had learned over the past two days, the Genovese Family and Hydra didn't want or need anything from him. They couldn't care less about his money, despite what they told Pepper in the video, and they already had an engineer creating weapons for them. They just wanted to make sure no one came for him, and considering the fact that they hadn't tried bleeding him out again, Tony guessed that Pepper was paying the ransom right away, trying to buy some time. The only person who seemed to pay him any sort of attention was Joey Genovese, Alex's father. Tony had hated the man ever since he found out how he deceived Alex, and had relished in the thought of bringing him to his knees. What he did not expect was that Joey had ten years of revenge fantasies cooked up in his head, and he just couldn't seem to decide on what would hurt Tony the most.

Every slice into his skin, every darkening bruise, and every crack of bone didn't seem to be enough for the madman. At the moment, Tony was attempting not to choke on his own blood that had seeped into his mouth from his broken nose. Joey was wringing his hand out, and Tony felt a stab of triumph that he was able to cause him some pain. When he brought his foot up, as if to kick Tony in the ribs again, and _dammit_ that was going to cause the cracks to break, Alex cried out, surprising them both.

"_Wait_!" Her jaw was set tight, and she blinked rapidly. Thankfully, they hadn't touched her the entire time they had been down here. She was still in perfect health, if not a little sore around her shoulders. Neither of them was sure why Joey hadn't punished Alex, but Tony wasn't going to complain. As long as she was relatively safe, then he'd be fine. Minus the rapidly deteriorating state of his body.

Joey eyed Tony angrily and gave an annoyed huff. "Alexandria, what have I told you about interrupting me while I'm working?"

Alex swallowed, and Tony knew that it was a painful movement. "I...I'm sorry. I just thought you'd like to actually get somewhere in hurting Stark."

What?

The billionaire narrowed his eyes at the teen, unsure where she was going with this. Joey seemed to be just as confused as he was. "Are you suggesting I'm _not_ hurting him?" Based on the blood dripping down his body, staining the skin with the rusted looking liquid, Tony was pretty damn sure this nut job was doing some damage.

Alex wouldn't let her eyes settle on Tony, and he didn't like that one bit. "I just think you're focusing too much on physical wounds."

Everyone was silent for a few moments while Joey stepped in front of Alex, blocking her from Tony's view. "Explain yourself, Alexandria."

She tugged against her chains in an effort to loosen the strain on her shoulders. "For as long as I can remember, you've wanted to kill Tony Stark. Make him hurt, make him bleed. You've done that, and you aren't getting anywhere with him. He's not going to break, just because you beat him senseless. I think I can give you something better."

What the actual fuck was going on?

Joey grabbed her chin tightly, enough to elicit a painful whimper from Alex. "I'm listening, _mi figlia._"

She winced at the nickname, and took a deep breath to steady herself. "I spent enough time with him at the Compound to figure out his weakness." She did? Tony's mind was flying through all of their conversations, trying to figure out when he could have said something that tipped her off. He was also welling up with a white-hot spike of anger and betrayal. Did she actually use him for this? Is this what she wanted all along? How the fuck did he let himself get roped into this lie? "He wants to save everyone, even those who don't deserve saving." She spared a glance at the billionaire, who was scowling at her.

"He's got this thing about kids." Tony's stomach plummeted to the floor, right next to pools of his own blood, and panic began crawling up inside him. Was she going to tell him about Peter? There was no way. She couldn't. They were supposed to be friends! "He thinks he has to protect them, and takes it personally if they get hurt. He punishes himself far worse than anyone else could if something happens to the people he feels responsible for."

"You want to hurt him in a way that matters, _Father_? One that he won't be able to heal from?" She practically spat in his face while he still held her chin. Tony had no idea what she was going to say, but his whole body was telling him to fight, to make sure she doesn't get it out.

"SHUT UP!" He bellowed, writhing weakly against his chains. "Don't listen to her, she doesn't know anything!"

Joey regarded him carefully before turning back to his daughter. "Pray, do tell."

She met her father's gaze without any fear in her eyes and held it. "If you want to hurt Stark, then you'll have to hurt me."

What. The. Fuck.

"You know you want to, Father. I threatened you. Just the other day. It's against the rules, right? No one threatens the Boss without bearing the consequences? Or were those just words? I think you're all bark and no bite."

He realized what she was doing, of course, but his brain was sputtering. Alex must have been keeping track of his injuries, and cataloging the blood she saw being torn from his body. She wanted to keep her Father from hurting him anymore. She was trying to direct the attention away from him, and he would be damned if he let that happen.

Tony immediately started protesting. "NO! Alex, shut your mouth! Don't listen to her! Don't touch her!"

The grin that stretched across Joey's face was positively feral. He looked between the two with growing delight. "Seems to me, Mr. Stark, that she might be onto something. I can't just let such a monumental crime go unpunished." The billionaire continued pulling against his chains and growling at them.

"No! She has no idea what she's talking about! Don't even _think_ about laying a hand on her!"

"I disagree." The eerie smile deepened, and Alex closed her eyes as she prepared herself. He raised his chin towards the ceiling, where he knew the cameras were placed. "This works out better for me, actually. Alexandria here will need to be tuckered out before we proceed with our plans. Start her up. Let's test this theory, shall we?"

The smell of electricity tensed through the air, and Tony found himself begging as he recognized the second it crackled through Alex's skin. She didn't even try to contain the scream that ripped from her throat.

She was right. Goddammit she was right. He wouldn't be able to handle watching them torture her. He tried to rein his emotions back long enough to convince Joey that she was wrong, that he didn't care about Alex. But when the cries echoed louder throughout their cage, Tony's resolved weakened. Tears pooled at the corner of his eyes, and he kept struggling at his chains. "PLEASE! STOP! You fucking sociopath, that's your DAUGHTER! Leave her alone! STOP!"

After what felt like an eternity, Joey finally gave the order to let up. Tony let out a choked sob as Alex fought to catch her breath. Her pants were heavy and weighed down, and Tony could only imagine the kind of pain she was in. "Alex? Hey! Hey! Can you hear me? You unbelievably stupid, ridiculous child! As soon as we get out of here, I'm shipping you off to the city college, you hear me? Oh god, please say something!"

Alex's chin raised an inch from where it rested against her chest, and she gave him a small smirk, knowing he was lying. Her small display of personality showed Tony that she was okay, at least for now. He practically forgot about the other man in the room, watching the two with interest. When Joey spoke again, Tony's blood froze.

"I think Alexandria has provided me with the perfect method to make you suffer, Mr. Stark. Be sure to say thank you."


	22. Chapter 22

**Note: Sorry this is a day late! Bad habit. Anyway, here you go! **

**Thanks to everyone who has favorited/followed/commented on this story. It really makes my day!**

**Chapter 22**

Missouri was their first stop.

Over the past few months, Tony and Peter had developed a cloaking device for the Quinjet, and the Avengers' eyes lit up when he suggested installing it before they left for Clint Barton's farm. Sam had whistled and shook his head in disbelief. "Damn, kid, are you sure you aren't Stark's? We all know how he used to get around in the day, you seem smart enough to have inherited those genius genes."

Peter wasn't able to keep the blush from spreading across his cheeks, and he ducked his head below the main dashboard where the interface was kept. F.R.I.D.A.Y. was providing the schematics of the ship and little pointers so that they could be sure it was done correctly. After about an hour, Peter pushed away and found Steve holding a towel for him to wipe his hands off on. "Thanks," he said with a little smile. Things were still awkward with the other Avengers since he wasn't sure what to say or how to act around them. The last time he had seen any of them was in Germany when they were fighting against one another.

But his talk with Steve had helped, along with the fact that Pepper was wiring the money at midnight on the dot to ensure Alex's father wouldn't hurt Tony anymore waiting for it. Peter wasn't quite so angry at Steve anymore, especially since the guy was so damn sincere. He hadn't known anyone else who had such crystal blue puppy dog eyes working in their favor. "No problem, Peter. It's really swell of you to do this. It's going to help keep the government from interfering if they can't see or track the quinjet."

Peter shrugged, unsure how to take a compliment from Captain America. "It's no problem. I don't want you guys getting arrested before we have a chance to save Tony and Alex. It shouldn't matter in a few months anyway, though. The Accords will set things straight."

He only made it a few feet before he realized that Steve wasn't walking next to him. When he turned around, the super soldier had stiffened, and his brow was furrowed in obvious confusion.

"You okay?"

Steve seemed to come back to himself, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"That the Accords would set things straight…" Peter responded slowly, not sure what the Captain was having trouble with.

The older man crossed the distance between them in two strides, and Peter had to take a step back at having the super soldier in his personal space. "You're going to have to explain this one to me, Pete. The last I heard anything about the Accords was when Tony tried to get me to sign them a year ago."

Ah. Peter wasn't sure if he was really the right one to be explaining something like this. Pepper would really know what she was talking about. "Uh, I mean, Tony told me about it. He's been working with the government for like six months now on trying to fix things. The provisions within the new reforms would guarantee that all of the charges against any member of the Avengers are dropped. He also made sure that the team operates on its own terms. The Avengers will still technically be under the supervision of the United Nations, but as long as you guys have evidence to back up your own decisions, then it's all fair game."

Steve blinked a few times before a wide grin stretched across his face, lighting up his movements. Suddenly, Peter was engulfed in a Captain America-sized hug with his feet dangling off the ground. "Ooomf!"

"Pete, this is incredible. Tony's been working on this for the past six months?" His voice was dosed with awestruck wonder, and he set Peter down but kept his hands on his shoulders. "I can't believe it. All of this time, I thought he would have moved on from the idea of us coming home. But he's just been working to bring the Avengers together again."

Peter felt himself reflect Steve's enthusiasm. Tony really was amazing. He was the most generous, brilliant, hard working and kind person he'd ever known. "Yeah...my da-" He stopped himself, almost choking on the words. Holy crap, he had almost called Tony _dad_ out loud. He barely let himself think the words in his mind, how did he almost say them in front of Steve Rogers?

Thankfully, the Captain didn't seem to notice. He just kept grinning like a fiend and walked Peter out of the hangar. "Come on, Pete. Go ahead and grab your bag for the trip, I'll get the others. Wait till they hear about this!"

Watching Captain America scamper away, Peter was now positive that his earlier comparison to a puppy was right on the mark. What kind of dog would Steve be? A yellow lab? A golden doodle?

Steve turned and waved at Peter to hurry up, the smile still stuck to his face. A Golden Retriever. Yup, that sounded about right.

XX

The flight only took a few hours, so Peter reviewed his notes most of the way there, trying to keep his mind occupied. Peter really, really wasn't a big fan of flying. He didn't want anyone to know, and he definitely didn't want them to know _why_, so he busied himself in the work. It also kept him from thinking back on the video. Natasha had been able to dig up the schematics of Clint and Scott's ankle monitors, and it took Peter a little while to figure out a way around the system, but he finally got it. Now they just had to convince the pair to leave their families for another mission, which made Peter nervous.

Steve hadn't voiced any concerns though, so he wasn't going to bring it up. Pepper had stayed behind, needing to handle things at SI, along with Vision and Wanda, who held down the fort in case of anymore attacks on the compound. Natasha piloted the now completely invisible-to-the-naked-eye Quinjet while Steve and Sam sat on either side of Peter.

"And you're sure you can do this?"

Peter rolled his eyes at the question, feeling like was hearing if for the hundredth time. "Oh my gosh, _yes_. It's not like these ankle monitors are up to Tony's standards. I won't have a problem with them."

Sam clicked his tongue. "Uh huh, you really are Stark's kid."

"Sam." Steve chided, "Leave the kid alone, he's got enough on his mind."

Peter suddenly felt ten years old again, and leaned back to stick his tongue out at Sam so Steve wouldn't see. The man's eyes went wide, and he sputtered, "You did NOT-"

"_Sam_! What did I just say? Go co-pilot or something. _Away_ from Peter."

The Falcon looked between the two with his mouth gaping, "you've gotta be shittin' me."

"Language. No _go_." Steve commanded, lifting an eyebrow up in challenge. Sam pushed away from the seat in a huff and walked away mumbling curses and promises to "get the kid back later" Peter, on the other hand, was beaming like a nine year old who just got caught sneaking candy. "Think we got under his skin?" Steve's mused, the corner of his lips twitching.

Peter snorted. "I think so. You knew I was messing with him?"

The Captain shrugged. "Super soldier," he said as a way of explanation. "I think it's good we have you around, Pete. I think the team forgot how to have fun while we were apart."

"Did you used to have fun?" Peter asked. For some reason he just pictured the Avengers, minus Tony, sitting around the Tower or the Compound just training or twiddling their thumbs until they were needed to save the world again.

Steve smiled fondly at some memory. "Oh yeah, we all had a great time together. We had movie nights on Thursdays, video game marathons on the weekends, and family dinners at least twice a week."

Peter blinked. "Wow...that actually sounds really fun. Not at all how what I was picturing."

"Just because we aren't all sixteen doesn't mean we don't know how to have a good time, Pete."

Before he could answer, Natasha let them know they were five minutes out. Without another word, Steve helped Peter re-pack his bag of supplies, and threw it over his shoulder. They moved to the front of the ship, and Peter tried to fight down his nerves. The farm looked...quaint. The wooden two-story white farmhouse was surrounded by miles and miles of greenery, and he had to squint to see the small town out in the distance.

"Nat, go ahead and let up the cloaking device. I want him to know we're coming." Steve ordered softly, and Natasha just smirked.

"Oh, I'm sure he already knows, Captain."

Sure enough, they spotted Clint Barton standing in the middle of a field with a homemade quiver on his back while he held a bow and arrow in his hands, not quite posed to attack, but still looking menacing in the hands of the marksman. Natasha put them on the ground and opened the bay door.

"Whatever it is, the answer's no." Clint called out when the four of them exited the Quinjet, and despite his lighthearted tone, his jaw was set tightly.

Natasha quirked an eyebrow, "What, not even a hello for your partner in crime?"

Clint snorted, latching his bow onto his back and raising one foot in the air. "In case you forgot, I'm retired from a life of crime."

Steve grinned and pulled the smaller man in for a hug. "Maybe you'll consider joining back up for one more gig. We've got a way to break you out." He nodded towards Peter. "This is Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man."

Clint stuck out a hand, and Peter took it eagerly. "How old are you kid?"

"Sixteen." He answered a little sheepishly, hoping the archer wouldn't hold his age against him.

Luckily, Clint's smile just got wider. "Damn, I remember you from Germany. You kick-ass! Why don't you all come on inside, Laura was just making lunch."

After Sam shook Clint's hand, they followed him inside, and met Laura and Nathaniel Barton. Apparently, Lila and Cooper were at a friend's house. As soon as they entered the kitchen, an excited squeal sounded. "Aunty Nat!" Natasha's face lit up, and she scooped up the toddler in both arms, kissing his cheeks.

"Am I allowed to call you Aunty Nat now too?" Peter joked.

Natasha winked and pulled him in to plant a kiss on his forehead while still holding Nathaniel. "You can call me whatever you want маленький паук." Well, that joke backfired. Peter's cheeks burned when Clint and Sam gave him matching shocked expressions.

"Sounds like we have a new Avenger in our midst." Laura addressed. It wasn't a question, but her tone made it seem like one.

Peter shrugged, "I'm not officially an Avenger, just the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

"For now." Natasha smirked, letting Nathaniel down and following them into the dining room. When they were all seated around the homemade wooden table, Laura served a load of sandwiches and took her spot beside Clint.

The archer slung an arm around his wife and leaned back in his chair. "So, what's this gig you are all bothering me for? I thought we agreed that I was finished after Germany."

The air around them shifted, and tension ran up Peter's spine as he remembered why they were there.

"It's Tony." Steve clipped, slipping into his Captain America guise effortlessly.

Client stiffened. "Is he okay?" Whatever differences they had in the past few months were obviously in the past now that there was a possibility that his friend was in trouble.

Steve shook his head. "He's been kidnapped by Hydra, along with another one of ours. Her name is Alex Anderson, an enhanced teenager that has grown close to the remaining Avengers."

"Shit." The archer huffed, rubbing at his temples. "How did Stark get involved with Hydra?" He looked up to address Natasha. "And do you trust this new girl?"

Thankfully, Natasha didn't hesitate to nod. "Yes, we need to bring both of them home."

Steve spent the next hour explaining the situation and their outline of a plan. Laura had moved upstairs with Nathaniel to give them space, and Clint begun pacing around his living room. "Listen, I want to help, really, I do." He gestured towards his foot, "But I can't leave my property. And even if I could, it's too risky that they will find out and lock me up."

"Peter can handle the ankle monitor, Clint. He's a smart kid. And we will do everything we can to keep you out of sight during this mission. Although, you should probably know that Tony's worked out a deal on the Accords. The government's agreed to drop all charges against us. I confirmed with Pepper this morning, she said they've verbally agreed to the reforms, they just need to have another session to put pen to paper."

Clint seemed to choke on his own air. "Are you serious? Stark did all of that? For us? For _you_?"

Steve grimaced, but nodded. "He did. We're still a family, Clint, no matter what happens. He needs our help."

The archer closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning to Natasha, who gave him her full attention. "Nat, tell me I should do this. Tell me that I won't lose my family at the end of the day."

Peter winced. He had turned to the person he trusted most, his best friend and partner. If Natasha said no, then Clint wouldn't help them.

"I won't let that happen."

"Then get this damn thing off of me."

Peter exhaled and shared a smile with Steve and Sam. They did it. He grabbed his bag from the Captain and sat on the floor beside Clint. "Let's get started."

XX

An hour and a half later, they were on their way to San Francisco.

Clint had kissed his family goodbye, with a promise to return in a few days. If everything went well, they would have Tony and Alex back, and the fugitive Avengers would have their slates wiped clean. On the three-hour flight to see Scott Lang, the archer caught up with his friends, and Peter tried to focus on the Avengers falling back into an easy routine rather than remembering that they were thirty thousand feet in the air while Tony and Alex might be undergoing torture. His companions were nice enough to include Peter and Sam in their past musings, telling stories about early Avengers missions.

"During the Battle of New York, Clint was the only one who managed to throw Loki off of the Chitari's bike." Steve praised his friend with a clap on the shoulder.

He just shrugged and gave a humored smirk. "Always expect the unexpected. That's what S.H.I.E.L.D. taught us."

Natasha reached behind in the pilot seat and slapped him across the back of the head. "He also jumped from a skyscraper and hoped that his grappling hook arrow would catch."

Clint laughed out loud and rubbed his head. "Hey! I was about seventy percent sure that it would be fine."

Sam and Peter looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes while the Avengers reminisce. He could tell they were both thinking the same thing: This was good.

The world needed the Avengers back together, and they were taking steps in the right direction. No matter which side of the fight in Germany they were on, they were one team, and would look out for one another. Peter was just glad for the extra backup in rescuing Tony and Alex, he was fairly sure that they would need it.

But, as long as they worked together, nobody stood a chance against them.

XX

When they knocked on Scott Lang's front door, a muffled "One second!" called out. Whatever Peter was expecting from Ant Man (and also Giant Man, _damn_ that was so cool), it wasn't a middle aged man in an old blue t-shirt, underwear, and a giant ratty bathrobe holding a bowl of popcorn.

Apparently, he wasn't expecting them either. A few kernels tumbled out of his mouth, and his eyes widened three sizes. "Captain America?"

Steve huffed out a laugh and held out his hand, "Scott, it's good to see you."

The man hurriedly moved to set the bowl of popcorn down, paused to wipe his hands on his bathrobe, and shook Steve's hand a little too enthusiastically. "Uh..come in, come in!" He ushered them into the house, and tied his bathrobe together so that his underwear was hidden. "I was not expecting company...obviously." Scott eyed them suspiciously. "And aren't you three, like, criminals, or something like that? And who's the kid?"

Sam scoffed, "Look who's talking, Tic Tac." He ruffled Peter's hair, to which he strongly objected to. "And this is Peter Parker. You're favorite little Spider-ling."

Scott's attention turned to him, and Peter felt like squirming. "Giant-Man got taken down by a teenager? Dude, what the hell?"

"Language." Steve chided, but was still smiling. "Thank you for letting us in, Scott. We wanted to talk to you about something."

The man made himself comfortable in a recliner in the living room, and gestured for the others to find somewhere to sit. "Yeah, the last time you wanted to talk to me about something I wound up on a floating prison, and then got sentenced to house arrest with this sucker on my ankle." He held up the offending leg in question and scowled.

Natasha leaned against the back of the couch. "We need your help."

Scott looked between them all, a little confused. "Why? You seem like you've got all hands on deck for whatever it is you need."

Steve's brow furrowed. "Tony's in trouble. Hydra kidnapped him and an enhanced teenager that we need to retrieve. We need all the help we can get."

"You want me to help Tony Stark? He's the reason I'm in this mess with the government right now." Scott rubbed at his face, obviously uncomfortable.

When Steve stood up, he was all Captain America. "Tony Stark is a good man, and Germany was a result of the Avengers not trusting each other, and the blame can't be placed on any one person. He's been working to fix things with the Accords for months, which means he's fighting for us. It's our turn to fight for him."

Scott sighed, "Damn, you're really good at that whole speech thing, aren't you?"

"It comes with the job description." Steve said with a little smile. He held a hand out to Scott, "Will you help us?"

The man fumbled out of his recliner and had to secure his bathrobe one more time. "I'm not going to say no to Captain America, that's for sure. Tell me what the plan is. And then I can put on some pants."


	23. Chapter 23

**Note: Happy Monday! The team is prepping for battle…hope you enjoy!**

**I got a tumblr (shesliketexas-17) if you feel so inclined to find me there.**

**Its mainly just pics of my puppy rn, but hey, he's super cute. **

**Chapter 23**

By the time they were flying back to New York, Peter was exhausted. They had spent a few hours at Scott's house, explaining the plan and jerryrigging his ankle monitor, before they all huddled into the Quinjet. Scott called his daughter to let her know that he would be home in a few days so that she wouldn't worry, and Peter's heart tightened in his chest when he listened to their conversation. He missed Tony already, and couldn't wait till they got him back.

And then of course, as soon as he started thinking about Tony, he started thinking about Alex, and what they must be going through. It had been a few days since they were captured, and Peter suddenly felt all of guilt and fear he had been putting off catch up to him. He slumped against the side of the ship, and covered his face with both hands. What if they were too late in rescuing them? What if they were being hurt right now, wondering where Peter and the Avengers were? What if-"

"Peter?" Steve's quiet voice broke him out of his downward spiral of thoughts, and he realized that he had been hyperventilating. "Are you alright?" The Captain must have asked the others to give them some space, because they were nowhere to be found.

Peter couldn't get in a breath deep enough to calm his erratic heartbeat. He simply shook his head, and kept his hands over his eyes.

Steve seemed to hesitate before sliding a perfectly muscled arm across Peter's shoulders. The super soldier pulled him flush against his side and gave him a gentle pat. "Breathe with me. Everything's going to be okay, Peter. The Gala Military Ball is the day after tomorrow. We'll get them back. You know we will."

He didn't consciously give in to the comfort that the Captain was providing, but it happened anyway. Peter's face ended up buried in Steve's chest, with those gorilla-sized arms wrapped around him. "Y-you'll come with me to save them, right? I...I need to know that Captain America will be there with me when we save them. I'm sure the others can get the job done too, it's just…" He struggled to find the words. For some reason, Tony wanted him to call Steve if there a problem he couldn't handle. Tony wanted Steve there with Peter, despite his own feelings towards the man. "He trusted you to keep me safe. I need to trust that you'll keep him safe too."

Peter could feel Steve swallow thickly above him, and the super soldier placed his chin atop Peter's head. "We'll save them together. I'll be right by your side when we bring them home." He took a deep breath, the movement bringing Peter up with it. "And if he'll let me, I'll never let anything like this happen again, kid. I'll do whatever it takes to get Tony to trust me again."

Peter hummed, soaking up Captain America's assurances. As long as him and Tony could get along again, everything would be alright.

"Get some sleep, it's a long way home." Peter didn't question the order, and let the darkness take over, willing to forget that they were flying thousands of miles above the ground.

XX

The sun was rising over the horizon when the Quinjet returned to the Compound, and the air had taken a heavy dip in temperature when they exited the hangar. Natasha ran her hands up and down Peter's arms when he shivered, and Steve ushered them all inside.

When they congregated back in the Common Room, Peter was surprised to see Rhodey anxiously pacing behind the bar in the kitchen. "Rhodey!" He shouted happily, pulling out of Natasha's grasp and crashing into the Colonel.

"Kid! Thank god you're alright." Rhodey hugged him tight, and then pulled back, checking for any signs of injury.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Peter grumbled, pushing away his hands. The Colonel grimaced and kept a hand on his shoulder, but let Pepper shoo him away so that she could move in for a hug. The two finally noticed the newcomers and faced them, each keeping a hand on Peter.

"So, it looks like you found your reinforcements." Pepper praised with a perfectly shaped eyebrow. Steve, Sam, Natasha, Wanda, Vision, Clint, and Scott were all scattered across the room, shooting nods and giving waves to Tony's two best friends.

Steve crossed the room and reached his hand out the Rhodey, who eyed him suspiciously. Pepper gave an awkward cough, muttering "we talked about this," under her breath.

"Colonel, despite what you might think of me, I'm going to do everything in my power to bring Tony and Alex home, and I'd like your help doing it." Steve stressed, still holding out the hand in question that had now become strangely awkward sitting there between the two men.

Rhodey glanced up at Pepper, who gave him a curt nod, and then over to Peter, who held his intense gaze for a moment before doing the same thing. Finally, Rhodey took the Captain's offering, and the tension around the room fizzled out.

"What's the plan, Captain?"

Steve looked around at his teammates. "I want everyone to sleep, shower, and eat first. I want us to be fully alert when we review the details of the plan. If that's alright with you Colonel, and Miss Potts."

Rhodey shared a knowing look with Pepper, and then conceded. "You're right. I haven't slept since I took the red-eye here after my mission. I'm sorry I couldn't get here earlier."

"You were serving your country, there is no sense in apologizing for that. You're here now, that's all that matters." He turned to address everyone else. "Meet back here at fifteen hundred. Get some food, and some rest, then come prepared and ready to work."

Nobody protested before breaking off and sliding into their respective rooms. Even Scott had his own space, and Tony didn't even know the man that well. Peter was suddenly overwhelmed, again, by the reminder of just how generous Tony was. How people forgot everything he had done for the world, for the military, for the Avengers, for...everyone...was lost on Peter. Stark Industries might not be making weapons anymore, but they still provided the greatest protective gear and defensive machinery on the market. His arc reactor technology moved the world leaps and bounds into a new age of clean energy. Tony gave the Avengers a place to live, fitted the bill for any damages that incurred during their missions, and outfitted them with protective gear and weapons specific for each of them.

He was a good man, and Peter was damn proud of his dad.

Peter's eyes went wide as he made his way to the bedroom. He had called Tony dad again in his mind. Somehow though, it was a little easier for him to comprehend this time around. Peter loved him like his dad, and Tony loved him like a son. He wondered if the billionaire would mind, and despite the sudden curl in his stomach that felt like embarrassment, his brain encouraged him. Pepper had outright told him that they both loved Peter like their own, so maybe it was okay to think of the pair like that. Somehow, he didn't think Tony would mind. Maybe he would even be happy that Peter had taken this step?

He wasn't sure, and Peter figured he would just have to ask Tony himself.

XX

At exactly three o'clock, the Avengers, plus Peter and Pepper were seated around a table in the main conference room of the Compound. Steve stood at the front, pacing back and forth as he spoke.

"As you all know, we have two missions tomorrow evening. One, stop the Five Families and Hydra from attacking the White House at the Gala Military Ball, and two, extract Tony Stark and Alex Anderson from the Genovese family mansion off seventy-ninth street."

A massive holoscreen appeared beside him, and Steve took a stylus from the table to begin drawing out his plan. "Colonel Rhodes has received a personal invitation to the ball, so I want you to attend as a guest. You're allowed a plus one, so I want Nat to accompany you." He moved two circles labeled _War Machine_ and _Black Widow_ to the left side of the screen. "Wanda, Vision, and Scott, I want you three on premises. After the situation with Pierce, anyone could be compromised, and we all know how well connected Hydra is. If they're planning on hitting the Gala Military Ball, I want you five there to keep people safe and neutralize the enemy, or at least hold them off until we get there."

With F.R.I.D.A.Y. and Rhodey's help, the Captain was able to pull up blueprints of the White House, and outline a plan for Alpha Team. The Colonel and Natasha would be stationed in the East Room during the Gala, accounting for the military and world leaders in attendance, while Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Ant Man would position themselves throughout the mansion, keeping a lookout. Since Vision was now able to resemble a human man, he would pose as a member of the wait staff, and Ant Man would stay tiny to keep a look-out.

If Hydra showed their hand, Rhodey would be authorized to call War Machine, while Natasha and Vision would reveal themselves to help. Wanda and Scott were to keep themselves a secret for as long as possible, considering the government's view on the two heroes.

"While the Ball is going on, Bravo Team will move in on the Genovese Mansion. Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Falcon, and myself will get in, get out, and transfer Tony and Alex to the medbay before joining Alpha Team on capital Hill." Steve instructed, moving the appropriate circles to the right side of the screen. Blueprints for the mansion were pulled up, and the Avengers debated the best ways to get inside.

Clint suggested a full frontal assault, but Pepper reminded the team that the Genovese family had fortified their home with alien technology. There wouldn't be a way to understand what kind of upgrades were made to the mansion without getting close enough to observe. Steve agreed with Pepper, and suggested a few hours of reconnaissance tonight. Not surprisingly, Clint and Natasha volunteered for the job. Apparently, the former spies were itching to stretch their legs again. The Captain had sent a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents there after watching the video, but everyone felt more comfortable having Hawkeye and Black Widow there personally.

After another two hours of discussion, a plan was set in place.

Where Peter felt anxious and jittery when the meeting began, he was confident and determined four hours later. As they filed out of the room, Pepper was already on the phone with the pizza place they had on speed dial, ordering ten boxes to be delivered.

Steve called Peter back right before he passed under the door frame. "Pete? Can you hang back a minute?" He complied with a shrug and took the seat near the head of the table. "When we break the perimeter of the mansion, Sam and Clint will be focused on identifying and disarming the alien weapon technology."

Peter nodded, seeing as though they already went over this. Steve crossed his arms and straightened to his full height, and Peter almost had to lean back to look at all of him. "I want you to be focused on finding Tony and Alex. I'll be your backup, your muscle. I know you're completely capable of handling youself-" he added before Peter could protest. "-but I don't want you to be distracted. If you find them, you alert me immediately. We work as a team from start to finish."

"Okay," Peter finally said after a few moments of contemplation. "I can work with that."

Steve held out a hand, and Peter took it. "We'll do this together."

"Together."

XX

After plowing through dinner until all that was left were ten empty pizza boxes, Pepper suggested that Rhodey and Peter show the team the new suits Tony had designed for them over the past few months. The Avengers were more surprised than they should have been that Tony would do something so nice, Peter thought with a grumble. It wasn't anything new, and just because they had a disagreement didn't mean that the billionaire didn't care anymore.

As they made their way to the level just above Tony's workshop, a string of excitement hit Peter. This was one of his favorite rooms in the Compound because it reminded him of the Justice League from the comic books. The team spread out around him, and Rhodey put his handprint on the scanner, earning a small chime from the speakers surrounding the room.

A faint whizzing of air sounded, and twelve glass cases rose forward, illuminated by lights. Each of the Avengers had a uniform displayed with a nameplate engraved at the top labeling each suit. Sam whistled loudly and walked up to his, admiring the wings. "Damn, I forgot how badass Tony is when he's on your side."

Rhodey clapped him on the back, smirking. "In case you missed the memo, Tony is always on your side. The Avengers mean a lot to him."

Steve nodded in agreement with the rest of the team. "We're a family, no matter what." He gestured towards the cases. "Avengers, suit up. Hawkeye and Black Widow, I want you off the ground for recon in twenty. Send in reports every half hour, and consult with F.R.I.D.A.Y. to draw up a map with updated designs. The rest of you, meet in the gym. We have some training to do, it's been a while since we've worked together."

Peter changed and followed his new teammates up a few floors, buzzing with barely controlled energy. They were only hours away from leaving to rescue Tony and Alex, and he wanted to show the other Avengers what he could do. The last two months spent training with Iron Man and Black Widow had done wonders for his hand to hand combat, and he was itching to put his new moves to the test. Germany was a trial run for him as Spider-Man, and now he had almost a year of experience under his belt.

The Captain pressed a button off to the side that stretched the ring until it almost tripled in size. He started them off on a few routine exercises before he began the sparring with Falcon, then encouraged Rhodey to join in the mix as War Machine about five minutes later. With everyone in their gear, it was a pretty fair fight. Soon, Wanda, Vision, and Ant Man were flying over the ropes to get in a few rounds.

Before he knew it, Peter was the only one left from the sidelines. He was watching the others intently, using his enhanced senses to pick apart their fighting styles and commit them to memory, just like Natasha taught him. Finally, he couldn't hold himself back anymore. Peter shot a web line up to the ceiling and propelled himself forward, catching Falcon right in the chest and sending him sprawling backwards.

Peter Parker 2, Sam Wilson 0.

"Nice one, Spider-Man." Captain America praised before he launched his shield towards Peter's head. His spidey senses warned him just in time, and he ducked and rolled, webbing the edge of the shield and throwing it across the ring, knocking Ant Man and Wanda down in its path.

Vision and Falcon stormed him from opposing angles, and while he was able to dodge most of their blows, Vision caught him in the abdomen, causing him to fall backwards into the Captain's chest, who then wrapped his gorilla-like arms around Peter's upper body and thrust him down onto the mat.

Peter blew out some air to recover after a short break, and allowed Steve to help him back up to his feet. The Avengers were standing around grinning, and Sam laughed loudly. "Everyone good to go another round?"

That was the only warning they got before Steve tossed his shield in their direction again.

XX

A few hours later, the Avengers were covered in sweat and grime while they all splayed across the mat catching their breath. The sun was just beginning to rise through the East bay windows, signifying the start of another day. Steve chugged his seventh water bottle and moved to his feet.

"Great job, team. I want all of you to get cleaned up and meet back in the briefing room in an hour so that we can hear Hawkeye and Black Widow's report. After that, we'll eat and rest before we move out tonight."

Despite the ache in his muscles, Peter was the first to spring up and race towards the showers.

XX

The debriefing took about two hours, and everyone was alert and focused while Nat and Clint described the alien technology strung throughout the Genovese Mansion. The blueprints they had drawn up with F.R.I.D.A.Y. were updated, and after a meticulous review, Peter suggested an idea he got from Alex.

"When she broke into Tony's lab, she came in from the underground tunnels. If we can use the same strategy, we would avoid all of the weapons designed to stop a frontal assault. From these maps, it looks like the best point of entry would be to come up from the ground floor on the east side of the mansion, then spread out to find Tony and Alex."

He wished he had a camera to capture Natasha's proud-aunt look. He'd have to remind himself to ask Jarvis for a snapshot.

Pepper had made sure sandwiches from Sunset were delivered, so the team devoured their food before taking a few hours to rest before the mission.

Peter was currently staring up at his ceiling, willing himself to get some sleep. It had been a ridiculously long night, but he just couldn't get his mind to slow down. Memories of being trapped in the elevator while the Genovese family attacked the compound were at the forefront of his brain, and every time he closed his eyes he saw the slew of dead bodies scattered across the atrium. Peter rubbed the heel of his hand across his brow, trying to will the memories away. The guilt and heartache was too overwhelming, and he wished again that he could have done something, _anything_ to help. He wondered if the attack would have gone differently if he had been there though. Maybe Peter would have been captured right along with Tony and Alex? Or maybe the alien tech would have caught him too, leaving him as one of the dead. He didn't know. Didn't want to keep thinking about this. It was too painful.

Right now, a construction team was downstairs repairing the structural damage. He was thankful it was fixable, but Peter wasn't sure he could ever enter through the atrium again without remembering the attack. All of those innocent people were killed, and the Avengers weren't there to stop it from happening. He knew his teammates felt responsible as well, considering it hit so close to home. Pepper and Rhodey were scheduled to meet with all of the families to provide personal condolences and compensation for their lost loved ones, and a remembrance fountain was currently being designed, which would be the centerpiece of the new construction. Peter was also sure that once Tony was back and the Avengers were pardoned, they would insist on some kind of memorial fundraiser for the deceased.

They had a job to do first, though, and the best gift they could give the families was to stop those responsible for their loved ones' deaths.

He wondered how everything would go tomorrow. Peter hoped it would be a smooth extraction, with little fuss. Maybe the Avengers who were going to be stationed on capital Hill could keep Hydra from attacking. Meh, he thought, they weren't that lucky. Everything _always_ ended in a fight. Which meant more innocent people would get hurt.

Peter flopped over in his bed and stuffed his face in a pillow. Focusing on everything that could go wrong on the two missions tomorrow and what Tony and Alex could possibly be going through right now was _not_ helping to slow his brain down. In fact, he was pretty sure he was more wired than when Steve sent them to bed.

A knock on his door broke Peter out of his thoughts, and he mumbled an invitation. Pepper peeked her head in and gave him a soft smile. "Hey Pete, did I wake you?"

He shook his head with a scowl, "No, but I wish you did. I can't stop thinking long enough to get some actual rest."

She chuckled slightly and came to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching out a hand to card through his hair. "Worried about tonight?"

He mumbled a yes into the pillow, finally relaxing now that Pepper was in proximity. Peter always felt safer when she or Tony was around. She toed off her pumps and slid down so her back was resting against the headboard, and Peter took advantage to cuddle into her stomach. It was like instant relief, and he could feel his body sag into the bed.

"Better?" She asked, and he could hear the humor in her voice. Peter hummed, wriggling his head under her hand. Pepper sighed happily and made herself comfortable. "I'm worried too, Peter. I've loved Tony for over a decade now...can you believe it? It was horrible seeing him in another one of those videos. I remember when I first walked in on him in the lab taking off the Iron Man armor after a raid. I stopped and stared...and he says, _'let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've got me doing._'" She snorted at the memory, and Peter smiled, consciousness already fading as Pepper's voice soothed him.

"Tony was always larger than life. After he became Iron Man, I started worrying about his safety. Who wouldn't, you know? I was in love with him, and I didn't want to face the reality that he was putting his life on the line every time he put on that suit. After Extremis, he actually retired as Iron Man, and destroyed what he liked to call his 'Iron Legion.'" She sighed softly before continuing. "But the world needed him, and I had to learn that if I wanted to continue being with Tony, I needed to accept that he would always be Iron Man. That's what the world needed from him, and he's always been the first to step up, whether or not other people realize it. The media loves to paint him as the man before the Avengers, and it's really not fair. Did you know Tony hasn't touched a glass of whiskey since the Vulture incident?"

Peter tried to give some sort of response, but his body must have decided to play possum.

"After his fight with Steve, he could have turned back to alcohol to cope, but he didn't. He didn't because _you_ were here, and Tony was adamant that he was _not_ his father. He never wanted you to ever compete for his time or affection, and his history with alcohol would have come in between you two eventually." He heard Pepper lean her head back against the headrest. "It's strange having Steve back here, I know you can feel it too. Tony would never give me details of what happened in Siberia, but from what I can tell, his fight with Steve was never what he was truly upset about. I think it was the fact that he didn't trust Tony enough to tell him about his parents."

"When we have Tony back, I'm going to need your help, Peter." She paused and listened for a response. When he didn't answer, she must have figured he was asleep. "Tony's going to need our support. He's going to feel ganged up on, and he's going to feel like there is no one in his corner. We need to prove him wrong. I need your help showing him that he's loved, and that we are always going to have his back." Pepper hummed, "that's what he needs."

Peter felt a soft kiss across his forehead before she untangled herself from him. "Goodnight Peter, sleep well. Then get our boy back."


	24. Chapter 24

**Note: A few moving parts here. Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 24**

Peter stood on the tarmac with his hands in his pockets, watching five of the Avengers board Tony's private jet. Pepper and Steve flanked his sides, looking just as tense as he felt. A storm was moving in from the east, causing heavy rain clouds and a thick coat of mist to invade their formerly clear surroundings. The temperature continued to drop overnight, and Peter had to hunch his shoulders together a little tighter to try and block the onslaught of the frigid wind.

It had been a busy afternoon preparing for both missions, and Peter couldn't help the sense of dread that wormed its way into his stomach. He woke up refreshed and anxious, buzzing around the other Avengers incessantly until Steve announced it was time to start moving out. Rhodey, Natasha, Wanda, Vision, and Scott would take the plane to Washington D.C. and move into position from there with the help of a few trusted S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Meanwhile, the video footage that Hawkeye and Black Widow set up last night on their recon mission would alert the Bravo Team when they were cleared to infiltrate the mansion. Joey Genovese needed to be out of the house with the alien weaponry before they could move forward.

The Avengers huddled around the tarmac one last time before breaking apart, and Steve shook Natasha's hand. "Nat, you're running point on Alpha Team until we arrive. Good luck."

She nodded, quick and efficient before moving to drop a kiss on Peter's forehead. "Stay safe, маленький паук." He mumbled his goodbyes to the rest of the team, hoping they would be able to take out the Genovese Family and Hydra before they got the chance to hurt any more innocent people. It was killing him that they had to be covert about their operation, but both Steve and Natasha had explained that they couldn't trust the government with this one, and they couldn't risk the kidnappers following through on their threats. After the whole debacle with the former Vice President and Secretary Pierce, there was no telling how many men of power were working against the Avengers.

Rhodey gave them one last 'thumbs up' before disappearing inside of the jet. Pepper turned on her heel as the engine flared to life, and gestured for Steve and Peter to follow her back inside. "The flight will only be an hour and a half, so they will arrive with about two hours before the Gala is scheduled to begin."

Once they were back inside the compound and safely out of the assaulting wind, Peter shrugged off his jacket and draped it over his shoulder. "That means the Genovese family should be moving out soon too."

Steve nodded, "That's right." He straightened his spine and slipped back into his Captain America guise easily. "Go suit-up. I'll let Hawkeye and Falcon know to be prepared to be wheels up in twenty."

_Finally_, was all Peter could think. They were finally going to rescue Tony and Alex. It was finally happening. Pepper drew him in for a crushing hug, making him promise to come back in one piece, before pushing him towards the elevator. He gave one last look behind him, hoping the next time he saw her, Peter would be able to reunite his family.

XX

Tony blinked awake, unsure what roused him. The Fold was dark, just like it had been for the past five days. The light from his Arc Reactor splashed across the steel walls, illuminating them just enough so that he could make out Alex's slumped form. A burst of agony welled up inside of him as he remembered watching two men beat her until she stopped tensing up. She didn't deserve this. Alex was a good kid, who had gone out of her way to shift the physical punishments onto herself, keeping Tony safe.

Joey refused to film any more videos for Pepper, so he assumed they were getting the money they didn't really need. Tony didn't care though, he would be happy to give the Genovese family the rest of his fortune if it meant getting him and Alex out of here alive. He wondered how Rhodey and Nat were going to mount the rescue...they were short handed, so maybe they would bring Peter into it. He hoped not. Tony wanted to keep his kid as far away from these monsters as possible. Knowing Peter though, it was a slim chance that he wasn't helping. Maybe he even thought to call Cap, but Tony's mouth soured as soon as the thought crossed his mind. After their fight in Siberia, Tony doubted Steve would even consider helping rescue him. Tony had tried to kill his best friend, and everyone knew that going after James Buchanan Barnes was a no-no. Granted, Tony was just trying to get revenge on the Winter Soldier for murdering his parents, but still. He had to resign himself to the fact that he had burned that bridge nine months ago, despite the cell phone Steve left him, and that Rhodey, Nat, and Peter were probably on their own.

Alex stirred to his right, and he perked up. "Kiddo? How are you feeling?"

She mumbled incoherently, and tried raising her head. Her gaze flickered across the room sluggishly before finally landing on him. "S-Strk?" She slurred, "Tha you?"

He tried to give her a little smile, but he figured with all of the dried blood on his face it might look hella creepy. "Yeah, it's me. Are you holding up okay?"

Alex took in a deep breath, obviously trying to clear the haze that settled over her mind. After a few moments of blinking, she seemed to come back to herself. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Are you?"

"Don't worry about me, kiddo. You made sure I was good, remember? I still can't believe how utterly and completely stupid that move was." He tried to scold, but his tone was forced, and she knew it.

She smirked and looked towards the ceiling. "He needs you. Couldn't let my father kill you before they had a chance to rescue us."

Tony wanted to argue, to groan, to fight and tell her that she was wrong to do what she did, but he couldn't. Alex had caught onto his and Peter's relationship from the start, and had actively encouraged both of them. Tony needed to get back to his kid. He needed to get back so that he could tell Peter that he loved him. Hell, he also needed to get back so that he could finally give Pepper that ring Happy had been carrying around for nine years now. Tony wanted to see his family again, and Alex had given him some time to do just that. He wasn't going to forget that.

The door to the Fold swung open, throwing light into the metal encased room. Joey Genovese stepped forward in a sharp black tuxedo, fiddling with his cufflinks. He stalked forward towards Alex with a feral grin stretched across his face, "Do you know what day it is, _mi figlia_?"

She was exhausted, that much was clear, but it didn't stop her from growling at her father. "October thirteenth. The day of the Gala Military Ball."

Joey looked positively ecstatic. "Exactly! Today, the world will change. My superiors will dismantle the United States government from right beneath their noses, and a new power will rise up in its place."

Tony's brow furrowed. What the fuck? "I thought you were the big bad wolf around here, Genovese."

The man spun around quickly and socked Tony right in the nose, earning him a surprised grunt and causing his eyes to water at the impact. "I didn't give you permission to speak, Stark." He spat, looking at the billionaire with disgust. Joey straightened his collar again and returned his attention to Alex. "While I'm gone, an old friend has arrived to convince you to return to our cause."

She spared a worried glance towards Tony, "What do you mean?"

The fierce smile was back, as if he knew something they didn't. "You'll understand soon enough." Joey called out over his shoulder, "Dante, please come in. Let's not make our dear Asset wait any longer."

Another figure stepped into the Fold, wearing a handsome three piece charcoal suit rather than a tuxedo. His silver hair was slicked back with too much gel, and his icy blue eyes commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Tony had absolutely no idea who he was, but from the sharp intake of breath to his right, he guessed Alex did.

When he turned to see how she could have recognized the man, Tony paused, and his heart constricted. Alex was shaking, her whole body vibrating with obvious fear as the newcomer strode towards her. She whimpered, trying to wrench backwards away from him.

Who was hell was this guy?

"It seems like the Asset remembers you, Dante." Joey observed brightly. "Good, that will make things easier."

Dante had yet to speak, just staring at Alex with a dangerous hunger reflecting behind his eyes. A look that made Tony's toes curl unpleasantly.

Joey coughed, grabbing the newcomer's attention. "It's time for me to take my men to the capitol for the Ball. When I get back, I expect the Asset to be prepared for her next mission." He turned on his heel and started towards the door. Before he disappeared behind it, Joey looked over his shoulder, "Oh, and don't touch Stark. I want to rip him apart from the inside out when I return."

Dante smirked and nodded, waiting until the door had closed before facing Alex again, completely ignoring Tony. "My dear, it is _so_ nice to see you again."

Alex's bottom lip was trembling, and Tony was horrified at the haunted look on her face, like she had seen one of her greatest nightmares come to life.

"Tsk, do I not even get a hello?" He stepped forward, caressing her cheek in a way that had Tony's stomach churning. "I still think about that night, you know. It was some of my best work, I believe. So many secrets were born from that night."

What the _hell_ was this guy talking about?

"_Please_, leave me alone." Alex begged, her voice barely above a whisper

Tony had enough. "You heard the lady, back off, Touchy McToucherson."

Dante regarded him with an air of humor, as if Tony was nothing more than a bug on the bottom of his shoe. He walked over and shoved the ball gag that was dangling around Tony's neck into his mouth, thrusting forward with more force than necessary. "It's rude to interrupt a reunion of old friends, Stark."

The man left him to speak to Alex again, and Tony hated how she squirmed away, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. "As I was saying…" Dante clapped his hands in front of him before continuing, "Secrets were running amok back then, did you know? Yes, yes, I was a double agent of sorts already...and then your father brought this brilliantly stupid idea to the _capofamiglia_, who was hooked like a moth to a flame. Neither man could resist having such..._power_ at their fingertips, so when the orders were given, I had a choice to make."

Tony had no idea what the hell was going on, but things were slowly starting to fall into place as Dante continued his rant. "Your parents were good scientists, Alexandria, but they were replaceable. They did the job they were given, but their usefulness had run out."

Alex winced at the mention of her parents. "I-I don't understand. Please, _please_ leave me alone."

_Oh, shit._ Tony thought as he realized that this was the man who must have broken into Alex's house that night ten years ago. The truth of who he must work for clicked in his mind, and tried yelling around his ball gag. Alex didn't need to know this, that man needed to keep his damn mouth shut. The truth was going to destroy her.

Dante gave her a pitying look, blatantly ignoring Tony, "No, I don't suppose you do. It's only fair for you to know the truth before I make you forget." He walked slow circles around Alex, as if stalking his prey. "Your parents were Hydra scientists, my dear, disguised as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. They were assigned to Project Pegasus, which was created to study the Tesseract. My superiors had waited _years_ for this opportunity, and they were right not to waste it."

He petted her hair, and Alex tried to thrash away from his touch. "They had you, my dear, and you were the perfect test subject. With access to the Tesseract, your parents had almost free reign to experiment with the power source. It took them four years to get it right, but finally, you were _perfect_."

Tony kept shouting, fighting against his chains, anything to try and get the man's attention away from Alex. He could see her shutting down, Dante's words threatening to overwhelm her.

"I was assigned to the Genovese Family twenty years ago. It didn't take long to gain their trust." He chuckled darkly, and Tony wanted to burn that smirk right off his stupid face. "It happens when you are as good at your job as as I am. When the news came in that the _capofamiglia_ was going to order a staged kidnapping, I was the first to volunteer for the mission." Dante smiled fondly. "It's a good thing your grandfather liked me so much, Alexandria, because I was able to convince them to let me play the role of your abductor. It was perhaps my greatest performance."

Alex had stopped shaking, and her eyes were squeezed shut, as if she was willing him to go away. But Dante just kept invading her personal space, and Tony quickly fantasized about ripping the man's head off. "You should have seen the look in your parents' eyes when they recognized me, Alexandria. It was _breathtaking_, watching them realize that I wasn't going to save them. To watch them realize that I was going to end their pathetic existence."

Dante took a deep breath in, humming slightly. "You were so small, so certain I was going to kill you too. But you were mistaken. Alexandria, you were always, _always_ our mission. You were always meant to reach your potential, and Hydra was not concerned with _how_ you got there, as long as you grew up to be powerful. Your father did his part and trained you well. Although, if my reports are correct, he never pushed you hard enough." He shot a disgruntled look in Tony's direction, "Perhaps, if it weren't for the Avengers, I'm sure you would be taking your place on Capital Hill like you were meant to, and would have had the opportunity to reach your fullest potential without this nasty bit of business. It's my job to return your mind to Hydra."

Alex seized upwards in her chains, thrashing violently and kicking out towards Dante, who was a hair out of reach. "NO. I will never, ever fight for you!"

The man smirked, dark and dangerous. "My dear, I'm afraid you don't have a choice. My men are bringing the equipment here now. The cleansing process with be painful, I'll admit, but it will be so _beautiful_. You will be the Asset Hydra has been missing these past two years. With the Winter Soldier in the wind, we have been waiting patiently for you to come of age. The Avengers might have interfered, but they have not disrupted anything, I can assure you."

He reached out to touch her cheek again, and Alex whimpered, "Think of how beautifully compliant you will be when your father returns Alexandria. You will _finally_ make him proud."

Tony cried out, begging without words for Dante to leave her alone. He had seen footage of the Winter Soldier's work firsthand, and watched the destructive toll the brainwashing did to him. Barnes was a broken man, holding onto his former life by a thread, a thin shred of a connection. Steve Rogers was his best friend before the experimentation, and Tony was positive that if Cap had really gone down in that plane so many years ago, the Winter Soldier would still be wreaking havoc on Hydra's behalf today. He couldn't let that happen to Alex, he _wouldn't_. Tony tried as hard as he could to remove the ball gag from his mouth, writhing against his restraints.

Dante laughed loudly, causing both Tony and Alex to cringe away. "Don't worry, Alexandria. You won't remember any of this soon enough."

He gave both of them one last smirk, and stalked out of the door, leaving the The Fold in total darkness again.

XX

_Alex Anderson wished she had more time._

XX

"Welcome, Colonel Rhodes," the front gate security guard greeted cheerfully, eyeing his date with lust-filled wonder. "Welcome, ma'am."

Natasha wanted to roll her eyes at his reaction, but gave him a heart-stopping smile instead. "Thank you, Officer…" she made a move to lean over and catch his name, purring. "Mason."

Mason stuttered with a flush, and waved them through. As soon as they pulled towards the White House, Rhodes snorted. "Was that necessary? I thought the poor man was going to have a conniption."

She shrugged, "Always best to keep up appearances, especially here."

"True. Are the others moving into position?"

Natasha brought up her phone, "It looks like S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to deposit Wanda successfully onto the roof." She tapped the comm unit in her ear, "Alpha Team, report."

Scott scurried off her shoulder onto the dashboard, "Ant Man revved up and ready to kick some Hydra ass!"

"I am currently stationed in the kitchen attempting to arrange a tray of less than appetizing looking hor d'oeuvres." Vision resounded, sounding a little distressed.

Natasha resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "We're good to go, Rhodes. Everyone is in position."

They pulled up to the Valet parking without incident, and they opened both of the Audi's doors with a little flare. Natasha took the opportunity to fall into character, the fabulous date of the greatly respected Colonel James Rhodes. Only a few people would be able to identify her as the assassin and Avenger, Natasha Romanoff, so she would be keeping track of those whose eyes lit up with recognition.

Scott whistled through the comms as they made their entrance. "Damn, you two sure know how to make an entrance."

They passed through security easily, seeing as though Tony had designed weapons that wouldn't register through a metal detector. The guards must have recognized her, or just tried to take advantage, because her pat-down was a little more thorough than Rhodes'. That was perfectly fine though, because they would never be able to find the weapons if she didn't want them to.

Rhodes escorted her into the East Room, passing a line of wait staff that included Vision, who they blatantly ignored. Once inside, she led them towards the far wall that held a thin vent, and waited for Scott to crawl upwards into position.

"Ant Man is greenlit. Let's hope this party never gets started."

"Is he always like this?" Rhodes whispered into her ear, putting an intimate moment on display for onlookers.

She laughed like he had just said something charmingly funny. "Based on Sam's report, I would say yes."

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Secretary Ross and his wife making their way over to them. She twisted her arm into Rhodes' and took a step closer. "Secretary, it's wonderful to see you again."

The hardened man narrowed his eyes at the pair, "Colonel Rhodes, Agent Romanoff, I was not expecting either of you."

_Interesting_. Natasha filed that information away for later. Rhodes reached out a hand for Ross to shake, "When your invitation comes directly from the President, you can't turn it down, can you?" He shot the man a practiced wink before turning to his wife. "Lydia, it's wonderful to see you again."

Wanda groaned in their ears. "If I have to listen you two schmooze your way through this party all night, I might just hand myself in now."

"You will do nothing of the kind." Vision scolded, and Natasha chuckled at something Lydia said.

It was going to be a long night.

XX

"On my count." The Captain commanded, holding a fist up. The tunnels were drenched in darkness, save for the internal lights illuminating their suits (courtesy of Tony). They were in position underneath the mansion, and Peter was having a difficult time holding still. "Three...two...one!"

Hawkeye let his arrow loose, and it caught for a moment before the explosion sounded, rocking the tunnel around them and destroying the chunks of earth and metal blocking their entrance.

"MOVE!" Captain America commanded. Falcon and Hawkeye burst out of the new crater, sending their weapons flying towards the alien technology that F.R.I.D.A.Y. identified in the updated blueprints. Shouts and shots sounded above Peter, confirming that the Genovese family members that remained behind were armed and dangerous.

"Spider-Man, follow behind me!"

Peter didn't have to be told twice to follow Captain America, and webbed upwards. His partner was plowing through four men, shoving his shield against their bodies with more aggression than Peter thought was strictly necessary. He webbed three weapons away from the remaining mobsters and stuck his enemies to the furthest wall, clearing the immediate area.

The Captain ran through a door to their left, and Peter was hurriedly trying to focus on the layout he remembered from their meeting. They took out another handful of men, and flew through two more rooms before Karen stopped them.

"Peter!" He froze, catching Steve's attention. "The door your left was not included on the blueprints. I have no record of where it leads to."

"There!" He yelled, lunging for it. Before he got there, Steve tossed his shield into the door, demolishing it on impact. Peter leaped through the wreckage, barely missing a series of bullets that flooded their way. He could hear the sharp ricochet off of Cap's shield, and continued to duck out of the line of fire. Below him were a series of stone staircases that would have caused him to face plant head-first if not for his spidey senses.

Steve caught up with him, and pushed him along. "Keep moving!" He ordered, still holding his shield up for protection against the men above. Peter caught sight of two rips in the Captain's uniform, and hoped that they were just flesh wounds that would heal in a few minutes. He bounced down the steps, shooting a series of web blaster behind them to stop or slow down their pursuers, Peter didn't stick around to find out.

Four staircases later found the pair outside of large room that was encased in metal. Peter's skin crawled as he recognized it. The Fold. This was where Joey Genovese punished Alex when she broke the rules. Where he tortured her by pumping electricity into her body in a room that was coated in an element that she couldn't manipulate. A strangled cry escaped his throat as he tugged at the door with all of his might, suddenly desperate to get to Tony and Alex, but even with his enhanced strength, it wasn't enough.

Steve laid a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back a few inches. Peter met his gaze beneath the cowl, and watched the Captain bring his shield up. "Together."

"Together," Peter agreed. With their combined strength, the locked door flew off its hinges with a resounding _crack_!


	25. Chapter 25

**Note: Happy Monday! Warning: This chapter has a little bit of torture in it. Only 2 more chapters after this one!**

**Chapter 25**

After about forty five minutes of working the ballroom, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff made his way to the stage and picked up the microphone. The full orchestra playing classical music quieted down, pulling the party's full attention up front.

Andrew Cooper was handsome in his dress uniform, adorned with an impressive array of medals. He patted his shortly cropped hair before clearing his throat. "Good evening, and welcome to the Tenth Annual Gala Military Ball, where we celebrate our brothers in arms, and raise money for our veterans who have returned home after putting their lives on the line for this country."

A wild round of applause calmed down before he continued. "Please be sure to check out the silent auction laid out along the south wall tonight, which will close at twenty-three hundred. We will also have a live auction after we hear from our primary sponsor, Vice President Reed, and President Ellis. In the meantime, please take your seats for the magnificent dinner provided by the White House Staff."

Natasha applauded politely and looped her arm through Rhodes' again, lightly tapping her ear. "Report."

"I count a total number of five exits, four of which are guarded by Secret-Service looking assholes. I mean really, who wears sunglasses indoors? Also, I don't see Genovese anywhere." Scott complained from his vent.

"I can confirm that the fifth door leads to the kitchen, and there are guards stationed here as well. All of them armed with standard issue military weapons." Vision cut in, blowing past Scott's remarks.

A few moments of silence before Natasha shared a look with Rhodes. "Scarlet Witch, Report."

She held her breath for another twenty seconds, heart beat suddenly skyrocketing.

"There's movement on the roof," Wanda whispered. "Ten men in fancy tuxedos just arrived, I don't think they know I'm here."

Natasha let out a string of curses inside her mind, clenching her jaw. "Stay covert, do not engage."

Rhodes tugged at her arm with a tight smile. "It's time to be seated for dinner, Nat."

She gave him a heart-breaking grin and laughed lightly. "Viz, if Wanda needs backup, move out immediately."

"Nothing would please me more, Agent Romanoff." Came his reply in her ear.

Rhodes found their name cards on Table 2, which was reserved for the Nation's top military personnel, including the Chief of Naval Operations, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Chief of Staffs of the Army and Air Force. They all rose to shake Jim's hand and give a little bow to Natasha.

"Are they sure they seated us at the right table?" Rhodes joked with a grin, "I can't imagine what an Army Colonel has to offer to a group of stuffy Military Service Heads."

The small joke earned a chuckle from the men and their wives, and Byrd waved him off. "You know us Colonel, we begged for them to let the likes of you join us so we could hear more about the Avengers. Captain America might be a war criminal, but that doesn't stop any of us from delighting in his service record."

Dinner was served just as her team gave another report.

"Still no sign of Genovese." Scott confirmed, "Wanda?"

"Whatever they are doing up here, it's not looking for me." She whispered, causing the hairs on Natasha's arms to raise in alarm. "They are just kind of spread out in some sort of formation."

She joined in on the small talk with Rhodes, keeping up appearances that she was just there as his date. However polite she tried to come across as, the military heads' wives still seemed to avoid having a direct conversation with her. Natasha didn't mind, she was used to being given a wide berth due to her past, which was very clearly out in the open after the information dump with Pierce.

Cooper returned to the stage as the wait staff picked up their empty plates, quieting the music behind him once again. "I would like to introduce our first speaker of the night, and our Primary Sponsor for this event. This great man was born in Berlin ten years after the end of World War II to two parents who each survived Auschwitz. Their family migrated to New York when he was fifteen, where he immediately became intertwined with the stock market. By the age of thirty, our sponsor became the CFO of one of the most profitable companies of our time. Since then, he has worked as a liaison between the United States Military and his home country of Germany. Tonight, he has so generously donated a whopping twenty million dollars to help support our Veterans!"

"The men on the roof are doing something...I can't see past their outer formation." Wanda reported over the wild round of applause.

"Please help me welcome Mr. Hermann Richter!"

A well-built man in his sixties sauntered onto the stage and shook Cooper's hand before waving down the acclaim. He straightened the tie on his sharp tux and flashed a toothy smile that Natasha didn't care for at all. While his outer composure was favorable and appreciative, there seemed to be an undercurrent of...something. She couldn't put her finger on it.

"Thank you, thank you. As you can tell from Chairman Cooper's introduction, I have lived a long life traveling in between our great nation and my home country. Along the way I've met many wonderful people, led thousands of fundraising events for the men and women who fight to keep us safe, and heard countless stories from around the world." Another chilling smile was flashed to the crowd. "Most recently, a story came to me describing the actions of Alexander Pierce, and his eventual downfall brought by the group known as the _Avengers_."

The room quieted down at the mention of the secret Hydra leader, and Natasha slid her hand over the outline of her weapon, hidden beneath her dress.

Richter's gaze flickered across his audience, resting on Rhodes and Natasha before finally landing on Table one, which housed Secretary Ross, the Vice President, and President Ellis. "Our former Secretary once declined a Nobel Peace Prize because he said '_peace isn't a responsibility, it's an achievement_.'" The man took a deep breath, and his smile darkened. "I agree with that statement, as I'm sure many of you do. If we are to live together harmoniously, our world and military leaders need to share in the values of discipline and loyalty. If we are to provide a better world for our civilians and our brothers and sisters coming home from battle, then our leaders must be willing to strive for unity."

The sponsor raised both of his hands in front of him. "We have before us the great leaders of the United States of America. A new world order is coming to fruition, gentlemen." The crowd looked around, confused. The Secret Service agents must have recognized the change in atmosphere, because they began making their way towards Table one. "The United States will fall under Hydra's command, and you have the opportunity to be willing participants in the radical transformation of your dear government."

"Oh shit!" Scott yelped over the comms. "I knew that guy looked like an dick wad!"

Weapons across the ballroom were drawn, including Natasha's, pointed directly at Richter. Gasps, shouts, and murmurs could be heard from the audience, but the man only smiled. The Secret Service agents planted themselves in between the target and their charge. "I wish you boys would have at least considered my offer before turning to such drastic measures. Hydra encourages peace, not violence."

Richter flipped his palms to the ceiling, and a faint buzzing reverberated throughout the room. Rhodes and Natasha scanned the crowd, trying to determine where it was coming from. A moment later, every weapon drawn was snapped upwards, ripping out of their owner's hands and pinning to the ceiling.

Natasha cursed and tapped her ear, "Scarlet With, the devices on the roof! Destroy them!"

They never heard her reply, because a flood of sixty men all wearing those metallic masks and carrying the alien weaponry she recognized from the attack on the compound burst into the ballroom and trained them on the crowd.

"But, if peace can only be achieved through violence, then so be it. The time for change has come, gentleman." Richter beamed, addressing the government and military leaders again. "My men will escort you out front to the lawn for a public announcement, while our lovely guests remain here, well protected."

The crowd roared again, and the men and women clung to each other, refusing to be separated. A man with slicked back hair strode onto the stage beside Richter, and Natasha stiffened next to Rhodes. "That's Genovese!" She hissed under her breath.

Richter frowned at the newcomer, and Natasha could only guess that he was displeased with Genovese losing Alex to the Avengers, but took the offered weapon before turning back to the crowd. "I'm ordering all military personnel to be escorted out to the front lawn. If you refuse to comply, I won't hesitate to begin the show early."

In the blink of an eye, Richter pointed his weapon at Anderson Cooper and pulled the trigger, shooting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with thousands of volts of electricity. He seized, thrashing violently for a few seconds before dropping to the ground, the smell of charred flesh filling the room. Screams reverberated between the walls as the members of the military were ripped from their significant others. Natasha and Rhodes were each grabbed by three men, and she jeered into her comms.

"Stand down! We can't risk them firing their weapons again!"

They were carted outside, their captors shoving each hostage forward with brutal force. Natasha hoped that Wanda, Scott and Vision would be smart enough to protect the innocent before jumping into battle. She had to trust that they remembered their training despite the eight month respite from the Avengers.

From the size of the crowd, Natasha guessed there were about one hundred hostages outside, while the remaining one hundred and fifty remained inside the ballroom. A light snowfall had begun to descend atop the lawn while heavy storm clouds and thunder crackled above. The bodies beside her vibrated as the frigid wind assaulted them, and Natasha wished that the damn Hydra agents had at least them grab their jackets. Ellis and Reed were surrounded tightly by their neighbors, and Ross stormed up behind Natasha and Rhodes.

"What are you waiting for? Do something!" He snarled, his bottom lip trembling.

A new buzzing noise grabbed their attention, and five drones appeared from the south and flew upwards twenty feet in front of the crowd. The forty or so Hydra agents continued to train their weapons on them, daring anyone to make a move. A flash of light clicked atop each of the drones, and Richter stalked forward in his thick wool coat.

"Good Evening ladies and gentleman! Thank you for all joining me on this glorious night. My drones will be recording the rest of our meeting, so that the world can bear witness to the new distribution of power!"

He raised his right hand, and a blinking red dot on each of the drones appeared, indicating the beginning of the broadcast. "My dear brothers and sisters! I welcome you to a very special live announcement! Behind me you will see the United States' top military leaders, all behaving very well for their new Hydra commanding officers!" Richter stepped closer to the crowd, gesturing towards Rhodes and Natasha. Three of the agents shoved them forward, towards the Hydra leader and cameras.

"I would like to introduce Colonel James Rhodes, otherwise known as War Machine, or the new and improved, Iron Patriot." The man's grin was wicked, and he cupped Natasha by the chin. "And here we have the lovely Natasha Romanoff, deadly assassin, the Black Widow!" She shook off his hold, silently promising Richter that he would pay for laying a hand on her. He turned back towards the cameras. "My two guests are part of a team called the Avengers, who has been increasingly meddlesome in my organization's movement to bring peace to this world. I'm here to tell you that any and all resistance ends tonight!"

The red blinking lights continued to flash, and Natasha wondered if Steve and his team were hearing this. She couldn't risk joining their comms yet, but hoped that Scott, Wanda, or Vision had clued them in already.

Richter brought his weapon up from his side and pointed it straight at Rhodes' chest. Natasha sucked in a tight breath of air.

The lunatic was going to execute them on live television.

"The United States government is in my hands, your Military leaders will be snuffed out in one magnificent blast, and I will eliminate all of the remaining Avengers by the end of the night! It's time for a new world order, America, and you will be the first to fall in line. _HAIL HYDRA!"_

Richter pulled the trigger, and Natasha threw herself in front of the blast. Before the electricity could hit her in the chest, a mass of red energy intercepted it, causing a small explosion. Rhodes and Natasha were launched backwards towards the crowd while Richter was tossed into one of his drones.

Natasha blinked away the dots from her vision and looked to see Wanda floating downwards onto the lawn, tendrils of red energy swirling around her. Once her feet touched the ground, the Hydra agents seemed to awaken from their brief shock. Half of them trained their weapons on her, while the other half forced the hostages into a tight circle and began shouting obscenities.

Rhodes held out his arms, calling the War Machine armor to him just like she knew Tony taught him. Natasha reached out to the closest Hydra agent and wrestled him to the ground, obtaining his weapon easily. These men weren't really a threat without their pretty toys. She didn't hesitate to point the nose of the gun to the agent's head and pull the trigger.

Wanda blasted away the weapons trained on her with a flick of her wrists, and turned her attention to the agents surrounding the hostages. They began shooting into the crowd, taking down ten people along the outer ring before she could put up an energy barrier for protection.

Screams filled Natasha's ears as she let loose the electricity in her weapon, frying three more Hydra agents at once. The heavy clanking of metal behind her signaled the arrival of Rhodes' armor. He used the repulsors to thrust into the air, and took out the remaining agents circling the hostages alongside Natasha while simultaneously avoiding shots from their enemies.

Several minutes later, Natasha, Rhodes, and Wanda stood amongst the forty dead or incapacitated Hydra agents. Another explosion behind them caught their attention. The front door of the White House jerked from its hinges, and Scott and Vision flew outside. Once the pair reached the commotion, Vision landed neatly next to Wanda, and Scott next to War Machine. "The White House is secure, the Hydra agents holding the guests captive have been confined."

"Yeah!" A now normal-sized Scott cheered, "We kicked their Hydra asses!"

The Avengers looked back at Richter, who was standing smugly behind the still-recording drones. "Congratulations, Avengers. You put up more of a fight than I was expecting."

Natasha stepped forward and pointed the weapon at the center of his head. "Show's over, Richter. Time to put down your weapon and come with us. Unless you would rather me find out exactly how accurate Hydra's motto is. '_Cut off one head, two more will take its place_,' am I right? I've been dying to test it out."

"That won't be necessary, my dear. I always come prepared." He raised his chin upwards, and the Avengers followed his gaze.

Eight ebony black jets hovered low in the sky, barely recognizable against the storm cloud cover. The bay doors opened, echoes of mechanical whirring filling the air. Out of each jet poured fifty men, bleeding towards the ground in hoards.

The calculations stripped through Natasha's mind, and she set her jaw. The Avengers fanned out around the remaining crowd, where the President and Vice President were pinned in the middle. Five against four hundred. Maybe it was time to call in backup.

She tapped the comm in her ear, connecting her to Bravo Team. "Captain? Might be a good time for you to join us."

XX

Tony couldn't stop screaming as he watched Dante and his team remove the chains from Alex's wrist. Joey wasn't kidding when he said that they needed for Alex to be worn out before starting the process. She was finally free for the first time in five days, and she wasn't able to resist at all. Her slim body hung heavily as they moved her into the chair.

Dante continued to caress her cheek, whispering praises that made Tony's stomach upheave. The gag in his mouth stopped any actual words from forming, but he thought the froth forming at his lips portrayed his feelings on the situation quite well. He was helpless to stop them from strapping down first her arms, then her chest, until they finally moved a strap across her forehead. He wrenched against his restraints as they forced a piece into her mouth, either to keep her from screaming or to keep her from biting through her tongue. The machine whirred in place, as if anxious to get its claws on her.

Tears were pouring out of his eyes now, but he didn't care. They were going to hurt Alex. _Destroy_ her the same way they did Barnes. He couldn't let that happen, not after he promised to protect her. And he had already broken that promise by letting both of them get kidnapped. The Avengers were supposed to keep her _safe_, and now he was forced to watch them rip her mind to shreds from the inside out.

Dante moved to the side of the machine in his lab coat, eyes burning with frightening excitement. He held a small red book with a single star in the middle in his hand, and flipped to a specific page. He moved his hand to a keyboard and inputted an array of information. "My dear, you are about to join the ranks of the new world order. Hydra is devastating the White House as we speak, and our troops are ready to move out across the world. Once you can finally see the truth in our vision, we will show you power you never even dreamed of possessing. While you are powerful now, you have yet to even scratch the surface of your true potential!" The smile that stretched across his face was maniacal, and he cradled the red book like it was a secret treasure.

Alex's eyes fluttered, the only sign that she was aware of what was happening to her. As Dante's hand hovered above the keyboard again, a distant explosion rocked the room. The man furrowed his brow, and all Tony could think was _Thank you, thank you, thank you._

The Avengers had come for them. After Dante's crack about the White House, Tony wasn't sure that Rhodey and Natasha would consider them a priority over national security. He couldn't care less about the government right now, as he begged and roared behind his gag to try and alert his friends of their location.

"Joey's men will handle it. Begin!" His fingers hit the keyboard with force, and Tony's heart dropped to his stomach. They would be too late.

The metal claws rotated forward until they rested on either side of Alex's head and latched on, earning a strangled jolt from the teenager. Dante hit another button, and all rational thoughts were blown out of Tony's mind as the shrieking started. Whatever pain Tony and Alex had endured over the past five days was _nothing_ compared to what she was going through right now. Her nerves must have kicked back into gear, because she thrashed in the chair, fighting desperately against her restraints

"Желаниe" Dante called out clearly.

Alex continued to wail, the word bringing on another wave of unspeakable agony.

"Pжавый"

Tony continued to beg behind his gag, the chains on his wrists slicing into the skin from his constant heaving.

"Семнадцать, Девять, Один"

As Alex writhed perilously in her chair, the metal door to the Fold flew off its hinges, and Tony cried out in relief. Spider-Man and Captain America barged into the room like two avenging angels, slinging web blasters and the shield outwards towards the Hydra scientists.

_Steve had come_. Peter had called Steve, and Steve had come to save him. The information was stuttering through Tony's brain as he tried to process the scene in front of him.

The men in lab coats didn't have time to pull out their weapons before they were slammed into the steel walls with ridiculous force. The shield ricocheted off of their heads with a harsh _crack_ before Cap caught it, and Spider-Man pinned them all beneath his webbing.

Without hesitating, Cap rushed over to the machine holding Alex in two powerful strides, and demolished it with his shield. Tony hung his head in elation, knowing that the pain would finally stop.

Peter appeared in his line of vision and removed the ball gag, "_Tony_? Oh god, Tony! Are you okay? What they hell were they doing to her?"

Tony tried to work out his jaw, and motioned to the chains with his hand. "Help me out here, kid."

He nodded and took the metal within his hands. With a snap of his wrist, the chains broke, sending Tony toppling to the ground. Peter caught him with a grunt, and they both looked over as Cap ripped the metal claws from Alex's head and tore through the restraints holding her down. Peter wrapped an arm around Tony to support him just as Cap slid his arms underneath Alex, lifting her gently, still holding his shield out for protection.

"_Move_! Hawkeye and Falcon have cleared the mansion, we need to get these two to the Quinjet, now!" Cap commanded, and Tony realized he didn't even have it in him to feel any twinge of annoyance at hearing orders for the first time in nine months.

He marched forward with Alex in his arms, Peter and Tony following slowly behind him. Tony had a hard time moving his legs from five days of disuse, not to mention the long list of injuries that assaulted him every time he moved a muscle. Peter was obviously trying to be careful while still moving quickly.

On the second set of staircases, Falcon appeared above them. The space was tight, so his wings retracted. "Help Spider-Man with Tony." Sam didn't hesitate to scoop up Tony's left side, and he felt a twinge of gratefulness that the man wasn't holding his short stint on the raft against Tony, at least not right now.

They moved quicker now that the billionaire wasn't actually moving himself, and burst through the door quickly. Hawkeye was nowhere to be found, but Cap didn't seem deterred. He plowed through the mansion until they reached the front door, stumbling out into the cold streets. Tony gasped at the sudden temperature change, the chill sinking right into his bones. He was sure that Alex would be shivering too if she wasn't already vibrating from the aftershocks of the machine.

The sound of jet engines brought his attention skyward, and Tony blinked as he recognized the camouflage feature etching over the line of the Quinjet. A surge of pride rushed through him as he realized that this must have been Peter's doing. His kid was a freaking genius.

The bay doors opened, and Hawkeye appeared into view. He ushered them inside, slamming the button for it to close up behind them.

"Blow it!" Cap ordered, and Tony furrowed his brow in confusion. Blow _what_?

Hawkeye tore into the pilot's seat again, maneuvered the jet upwards and away from the mansion before pulling out a small device hooked up to the quiver resting against his seat. Clint tapped the small red button, and an explosion could be heard from a distance.

Tony blinked again and turned to face the Avengers. "Did...did you just blow up that mansion?"

"It was a Hydra base, Tony." Steve explained tightly, not looking at him. He was hovering over Alex, who was now laying atop a medical bed.

"I know what it was!" He snapped, suddenly irritated at Steve's lack of eye of eye contact.

Peter and Sam helped him onto the bed next to Alex, and moved to stick an IV needle in his arm. Tony batted it away, but clung to Peter's hand like his life depended on it, "Is she okay?" He leaned over to try and get a look. "Alex? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

She groaned, her hands weakly moving to cover her face. She had yet to open her eyes.

"Alex?" Cap tried gently.

She mumbled something incomprehensible and turned, another whimper of pain escaping her lips.

Tony tugged at Peter's hand. "You try, kiddo."

Peter only hesitated for a second before nodding and stepping over, taking Cap's place and tearing off his mask. "Alex? Can you hear me? It's Peter. You're safe now."

Another few moments of silence before…"Peter?" It was a slurred and broken word, but it meant she was coherent.

"Yeah, yeah, it's me. Can you open your eyes for me?"

She scrunched her eyes tighter before they fluttered open, the haze taking a few moments to clear before she finally recognized her friend. "Peter!" She surged forward, latching onto his neck and clinging tightly.

Peter kept his hand in Tony's, but relaxed against Alex, the relief at having them both safe filling him up.

"We're a few miles from the compound. We will get you both taken care of." Cap told them gently, still not looking directly at Tony.

Alarm bells rang in his head, and Tony sat up, earning a grunt of surprise from Sam, who was still holding his shoulder. "No! We have to get to the White House. Hydra is there!"

Steve's blue eyes finally met his own, and Tony forced all of his frustration at the man down.

"We have a team already in position, they are taking care of it until we get there."

"No!" Tony insisted, "They aren't enough! That fucker, Dante, said they had already taken over! There isn't time!"

Cap stepped over next to Tony's bed and laid a hand on the railing. "Tony, you both need medical attention. You look like you're in a lot of pain." His voice was filled with an unrecognizable emotion as they looked at each other.

"We'll live, Cap. Trust me. The others need us right now." Tony needed for them to put their past behind them right now. The medical team could look over them after they saved the world. Again.

Steve hesitated before tapping his ear, linking the teams' comms together. "Nat, report."

F.R.I.D.A.Y. must have switched the comms to the quinjet's speaker system, because her response came out clear and steady.

"Captain? Might be a good time for you to join us."


	26. Chapter 26

**Note: So, fighting scenes are not my forte, so bear with me here as they head into battle! Just one more chapter to go after this! Let me know what you think, any favorites/reviews are always appreciated**

**Also, if you like listening to music while you read, I pretty much wrote this whole thing with 2 of Billie Eilish's songs on repeat. **_**When the party's over**_** and **_**you should see me in a crown**_**.**

**Chapter 26**

Alex _hurt_.

Her whole body shuddered as it fought against the convulsive pull of that damned machine. She was weak, she knew. Five days of torture had worn her muscles to their breaking point, and she struggled to remain upright. Peter was tucked beneath Stark's arm on the bed next to her, but he kept a comforting grip on her hand.

At the Captain's orders, the pilot had turned the jet around and headed towards Washington D.C. The air was tense as they grew closer, and she guessed it had to do with the rift Peter mentioned the day before she was taken.

"So, this is awkward…" She slurred, still trying to clear her mind from the fog of pain that enveloped it.

Stark gave her a _look_ while the Captain and his friend shot an appraising glance in her direction. The man with the shield studied her for a moment longer before walking up slowly, trying not to spook her. "Hi Alex, I'm Steve Rogers." He gestured behind him, "This is my friend Sam Wilson, and the man flying the jet is Clint Barton."

She made no move to respond, so he gave her a small smile and continued. "You're looking pretty beat up over here, kiddo. Is there anywhere in particular that hurts that we can take care of now? We have a great first aid kit on board."

Alex blinked, trying to assess her wounds. Everything hurt, but she couldn't think of anything eternal that they could quickly bandage up. Stark on the other hand… "He's lost a lot of blood, and he's got at least three cracked ribs and a broken nose."

Steve's face tightened and his eyes fluttered closed before he opened them. "I know, but Tony won't let me help him."

Peter made a distressed sound, and Stark just narrowed his eyes at all of them. "I'm fine. I just need my armor."

"Tony, please." Steve asked, barely short of begging. "We brought your suitcase armor. But just let me help you before we get there. I can't have you falling out of the sky while we're fighting Hydra."

Peter pulled away a few inches to meet Stark's gaze. "Tony, listen to him. Please."

Alex watched a flurry of emotions dance across the billionaire's face before he huffed. "Fine."

Steve smiled, and gave Alex a quick wink. She decided that she liked Captain America very much. He was nice, and he took care of his team.

Sam handed him the first aid kit, and Steve rifled through it before bringing out some gauze and alcohol pads. "I'm going to clean up the blood first, then I'll wrap everything. It will hold you over until we can get you both to medbay."

Stark grunted and winced as the Captain provided medical attention, and Alex's eyes wandered over the jet's occupants before resting on the first aid kit. When she spotted what she was looking for, she seized forward, surprising everyone around her.

Steve was quicker than she expected, and he caught her wrist before she could grab what she wanted. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked. She had been expecting him to be angry, or frustrated, but he only seemed curious.

"That's an adrenaline shot. I need it if I'm going to be fighting with you."

His eyebrows disappeared behind his hairline. "Excuse me? Alex, you're not fighting anybody. You need to stay here and rest. We can handle things down there."

Alex clenched her teeth together and fought to keep from falling over. "No, what I need is for you to get these damn cuffs off of me, and give me the shot!"

"Alex…" Peter started, and she raised a hand to cut him off, already exhausted from the small movement.

"No!" She growled, narrowing her eyes at the Avengers surrounding her. "You don't understand, I have to fight. I _have _to." Alex turned to face Stark, who was having trouble meeting her eyes. "You heard what happened in there. You know what happened to me."

The billionaire hesitated before nodding, leaning further against Peter. "Yes."

"Then you have to convince him that I need to be out there fighting with you!" She tried to raise her voice, but it came out scratchy and strained.

"What is she talking about?" Steve asked, exchanging glances with Wilson.

Stark's eyes flickered back to hers, and then across to Steve. "She-she's right. Alex deserves a chance to be out there."

"How can you say that, Tony? Look at her. She's just a kid." The Captain objected, walking over to stand beside Alex's bed.

"Because." Stark bit out, obviously trying not to lose his patience. "She just found out that along with being kidnapped when she was six years old, Alex's parents were Hydra scientists who experimented on her. _That's_ why she has her powers. They were studying the Tesseract and its effects on her."

The silence around the jet was heart stopping. Alex groaned at a new wave of pain, and ached to feel the power run through her veins again. The Captain was watching her with sad eyes, and Peter was looking like he wanted to give her a hug. She didn't need either of those things, she needed _revenge_. "Steve," she wheezed, digging her fingers into the sheets. "I'll be stronger when these cuffs are off. Stark can vouch for that. And when you give me that shot, I'll be unstoppable until the adrenaline runs out."

"What happens when it runs out?" He asked quietly, still hovering.

She took a deep breath, exhaustion threatening to take over. "Then you get me the hell out of there and to a doctor." Alex let out a throaty laugh, and turned to cough, spitting up a few flecks of blood. _That_ didn't look good.

"Please," She begged, trying to hold the Captain's gaze.

Barton called out over his shoulder, interrupting their standoff. "Five minutes, Cap."

Alex held her wrists out, arms feeling heavier than they did a few minutes ago. "Please."

Steve looked around the jet, eyeing a wary-looking Sam, a scared looking Peter, and then meeting Tony's determined stare. "We need to do this _together_, Steve."

He seemed to have come to a decision, because the Captain nodded in agreement. "Together." He reached out for the cuffs around Alex's wrists, and tore them off in one clean motion.

As soon as the metal left her body, Alex jolted upright, the surge of power hitting her like a crackle of electricity. Except, where she would normally be sore and weighed down, a wave of alertness and control danced inside her veins, and Alex gasped, trying to get a handle on the wonderfully familiar feeling. _Yes_. She pushed away from the bed and her legs gave out beneath her.. Steve was there an instant, keeping her steady as her body adjusted to the sensation.

"The shot," She choked out, still reeling from the shock as she tried to compensate for the flow of power against her exhausted body.

Steve tightened his grip around her before reaching out a hand to Sam, who put the needle in his palm. The Captain's crystal blue gaze kept her in place as he stretched out her arm, thumbing for a vein. "Are you sure?" He asked.

Alex looked over at Stark and Peter. The billionaire was standing in front of a large metal suitcase, waiting for her, while Peter gave her one last warm smile before slipping on his mask. She met Steve's eyes once again and nodded. "Do it."

The needle pierced her skin, and the fluid disappeared into her arm. She could feel the cold slice through the bloodstream, leaving her shaking with untapped energy. Alex took a few deep breaths to center herself and pushed away from Steve's hold.

"How do you feel?" Stark asked.

She looked up with a sharp grin, "Like myself again." Alex reached over for her suit that was hanging a few feet away, stepped behind a wall large enough to hide her while she changed, and came back out while tying her mask. She flexed her fingers and shook out her limbs, riding on the high of adrenaline. "I'm ready."

Stark flashed her and Peter a smirk before kicking the suitcase and standing back. She watched in fascination as the metal twisted and arranged itself over his body, covering up all of the new bandages. Within a few seconds, Iron Man stood before them.

Steve fingered his shield and cleared his throat. "Avengers, based on Widow's report, our enemy count is upwards of four hundred. They have weapons created from alien technology, so avoid being hit at all cost. Our primary objectives are to neutralize the enemy, protect the Military leaders and civilians and get them to safety, and capture Hydra's leaders. Based on the video footage provided by Hawkeye, Richter is our man."

The Avengers around her nodded, understanding their missions. Alex walked over to the closed bay doors and licked her lips "That's all well and good, Captain, but I'm not bringing _anyone_ in. Richter and my father don't make it out of this fight alive."

Steve's jaw tightened. "That's not your call to make, Alex. You're fighting with the Avengers now, you need to play by our rules."

She hardened her gaze, tugging on the pull in her gut that reminded her of the power rippling through her veins. "Your rules became obsolete the moment Hydra tried to reset my brain." Alex slammed her fist against the button, wrenching the bay doors open. The team around her took a step back against the onslaught of wind. "I'm going to make them regret turning me into a monster. Tell your Avengers to get off the ground if they don't want to end up buried too."

Alex didn't wait for a response before she fell backwards fifteen thousand feet above the ground.

XX

Peter's heart leapt out of his chest the moment Alex disappeared into the blackened sky. Steve surged forward, only to be held back by Tony's armored arm. "She wasn't kidding, Cap."

"She wasn't wearing a parachute!" He yelled, eyes still searching the air.

Tony shrugged, "Doesn't need one. Listen to her, tell the team to get off the ground." He pushed past Steve and pointed at Peter. "Wait to jump with Cap, kid." His faceplate flipped down. "Sam, with me." His repulsors flared to life and Iron Man took off out of the bay doors.

Sam adjusted his goggles and looked back at Steve with a large grin. "It's good to be back!" He jumped too, and then it was just Clint, Steve, and Peter.

The Captain cursed and tapped his comms. "Son of a _bitch_! Alpha Team, get off the damn ground, NOW!" He twisted back towards Clint. "Hawkeye, put this thing on autopilot. The moment our opportunity comes, we jump-_with parachutes_." He rolled his eyes and slipped on the cowl. "Too many fucking aerials on this team."

"Language." Peter chided quietly, earning him a glare from Captain America while Clint laughed his ass off beside them.

XX

Natasha heard the command through the comms, relieved that the rest of their team was here. The White House lawn was in utter chaos. The Hydra soldiers were advancing on the five of them, their weapons striking around their loose perimeter every few seconds. Natasha had positioned herself atop War Machine's shoulders, taking out as many men as she could from a higher vantage point. Rhodes flew them around unevenly to avoid being hit, firing his massive guns towards the advancing army.

"Off the ground!" She ordered, and chanced a look backwards to make sure the other Avengers were paying attention.

Scott grew back into his normal size amidst a small cell of soldiers, taking down two with a roundhouse kick to the head, before picking up their fallen weapons and pulling the trigger against four more. He threw down the guns and sprinted towards the pair, leaping and miniaturizing at the same time. War Machine dipped low to the ground so that Natasha could scoop Ant-Man out of the air, and rose back up, continuing their assault.

Wanda continued holding up her energy barrier around the civilians, inching them closer and closer to the White House where they could be offered coverage from the battle. Vision protected her until the crowd was finally out of the way, then flew to pick her up while she recovered from the constant flow of power.

Natasha caught sight of a projectile free-falling from the Quinjet, and her eyes flickered upwards to see Iron Man and Falcon following it down. She sucked in a tight breath and laughed, energy renewing as she realized that Alex and Tony were okay. The projectile fell another thousand feet before she realized that it _was_ Alex.

"Watch out!" She warned her teammates through the comms. Rhodes saw their backup too, and gave a loud, "Whoop!"

The lightly falling snow whipped towards her as the teenager fell further, and the air twisted into a funnel, flinging a cell of soldiers into her mini tornado. Natasha had half of a second to warn Rhodes to back up before Alex collided with the ground, and the White House lawn exploded.

XX

It was quiet when she fell.

Sure, distant screams and shouts could be heard, but the violent wind was quick to drown them out. Alex allowed the silence to sink in around her as she drew closer to the ground, letting the element surrounding her draw her in. Her eyes closed, and it was peaceful. She wished it could always be like this.

But that was impossible. At least while the people who wrecked her life were still breathing.

Alex's eyes snapped open, and she latched tightly onto the familiar pull in her gut and crashed into the ground. She twisted the wind to keep from hurting herself as she locked onto the new element, and then let loose a monumental flow of power. A massive crater stretched across the upheaved earth, and the force from her fall allowed her to erect razor-sharp pillars reaching outwards, slicing through the chests of whatever soldiers were unlucky enough to be in her way. Alex stood and _roared_, fire pouring out of her mouth, singeing another group of men. She dug her stance deeper into the ground and pounded her fists closer to her chest and then thrusting them forward, the movements breaking down the pillars into smaller daggers and sending them to dislodge into the soldiers' hearts.

As the light snowfall turned into a flurry, the ground became soaked with thin layer of slush. Alex reached her hands outward, calling out to the water to answer. The element responded by crawling up into the surrounding Hydra soldiers, and crystallizing into ice with a flick of her palms. The men's advances were halted as they tried to wrench their feet out of the ground to no avail.

Fifty weapons fired on her at once, and she willed a mound of earth to cover her for protection. When there was a break in the electrical ammunition, Alex commanded the earth to bury a small section of the army with a flick of her arms, her muscles taunt with exertion. As the sweat poured down her face, she noticed the assault on the remaining army. Iron Man, Falcon, War Machine, and another man in a red cape, who she assumed to be Vision, flew around her perimeter, blasting away the soldiers and their weapons at an increasing rate. The two men in armor flew back to back, shooting off their repulsors. The guns atop War Machine's shoulders fired in unison with Iron Man's short range missiles and repulsors, intercepting bouts of electricity and dismantling many of the enemy's weapons.

Falcon used his wings to block the electrical arcs. After a dispute with the demigod Thor, Stark has apparently designed his team's armor so that they wouldn't be conduits of electricity. Sam was able to soar through the crowd with ease, tearing through the army's weapon supply and using a small robot sidekick to shoot men he had missed.

Whatever was inside Vision's head was incredibly powerful, Alex thought as she watched the thin, focused beams of light shooting out into the crowd. Thick blasts sent entire cells of soldiers backwards, breaking the oncoming army's formation.

Natasha tore through a line of men with her own guns, her evening gown ripped over the knees for better mobility. She flipped over three soldiers, twisting her legs across one's neck while she held another in a chokehold with her arms. Both soldiers lost consciousness on the way down, and Natasha rolled over, grabbing their weapons and shooting down another pair in the face.

Alex recognized the Scarlet Witch twisting her arms in a chaotic fashion, sending bursts of agitated red energy into the army's forces, tearing the soldiers apart. Any bursts of electricity or shower of bullets that were sent in her direction were stopped in mid-air and redirected to their shooter. Any leftover kinetic energy she was able to absorb was thrust into another crowd of enemies.

A man in a red suit assaulted a line of men with an alien weapon that he must have picked up off the ground, laughing like a complete lunatic and firing into the small army.

Spider-Man webbed across her still-standing pillars, and Alex sent them soaring higher into the air for him with an exhausted grunt. He yelled a grateful, "thanks!" and continued webbing up the enemy from a higher vantage point. Every once in a while, he crashed down into the line of men and put his hand-to-hand combat training to good use. Alex felt a burst of pride at how well Peter was fighting, and she couldn't wait until they were able to test out their skills side by side.

Iron Man deposited Barton atop a flattened one as well, and he let loose a quick succession of arrows that all hit their marks expertly, each one exploding on impact and sending the soldiers flying into one of the other Avenger's hold. Hawkeye also took out the remaining four drones hovering above the chaos, cutting off the feed to the outside world. Already, there were police cars and news vans crammed outside of the White House gates. There was no doubt in Alex's mind that as soon as the battle was over, hundreds of news stations would be on their ass asking about what went down tonight.

In the middle of everything, Captain America ripped through the crowd with his shield. She was distantly impressed with the number of men he incapacitated without actually picking up one of the guns. The electricity ricocheted off of his shield, and he aimed each one perfectly so that it would hit another soldier in the chest.

They were a team. And they were _winning_.

The numbers of the Hydra army were quickly diminishing, and Alex's thoughts returned to her as she realized that the Avengers could handle the rest of the soldiers. She willed a column of air to hoist her up onto one of the pillars, and she scanned the chaos for her target. She needed to finish them off before her energy depleted.

Across the lawn, a stark black helicopter was hovering near the ground with a ladder hanging low enough for the two men running towards it to reach up and grab.

"_NO_!"

Alex saw red. The thought of these two men getting away tonight was enough to get her blood boiling. She shot into the air, completely surrounded by her elements and a mounting wave of outage. A mini tornado of thrashing air circled around her before it was met with a compilation of unearthed rocks from below. Fury blinded her, and she let forth another roar that released a burst of fire, which she then maneuvered around her as well. Finally, Alex tightened her hold on the powerful pull within her gut and latched onto the falling flurries of snow, melting them with a swish of her hand and composing a beautiful flow of water to add to her surrounding circle.

She thought about how devastated she felt when she found out that her father had _used_ her, _manipulated_ her for ten years. She thought about the anger and _heartache_ that had been building for the past few days, realizing that her entire life had been a _lie_. Alex focused on the cruel revelation that her parents never loved her. They _experimented_ on her, created her to be a weapon for Hydra. She concentrated on the agonizing pain that crashed through her as Dante tried to wipe her brain.

After a stuttering breath, Alex _stopped_ thinking and released every ounce of power and adrenaline that remained in her body, flinging it towards the helicopter. The sounds of battle were muted as the calamitous blend reached its mark, and engulfed the machine in a torrent outburst, shooting pieces of metal and chopper blades crashing into the ground.

XX

With his enhanced senses, Peter was able to pick up Alex's scream over the pandemonium. He webbed up to a pillar far enough off the ground and watched as she commanded a combination of the elements. He caught sight of her eyes, and stumbled backwards when they glowed with a fierce bright blue light.

The terrifying mixture was sent towards the helicopter, where _holy shit_, Richter and Genovese were trying to escape in, which exploded on impact. His eyes left the devastation immediately, scanning instead to find Alex again. The air around her stuttered for a moment before she lost control of it completely, dropping hard and fast towards the ground. Peter yelped loudly and webbed towards her as fast as he could, shouting her name as she fell.

Right before she hit the upheaved earth, Peter shot a web towards her, encircling her stomach. His heart dropped as he realized there wasn't enough momentum for him to fling her upwards before she collided with the ground. Nobody could survive a fall like that.

He wasn't going to be able to save her.

Peter had half a second to scream Alex's name before Captain America was there to catch her in a bridal hold.

Peter sagged with relief, stumbling next to the pair and cupping her face between his hands. "Alex? Alex?" He yelled over the diminishing explosions behind him. "Wake up!"

"Spider-Man," Steve called, jostling Peter's attention to his face. "She needs a medic." He tapped his comms, holding Alex close to his chest for protection. "Tony, it's time for you to get Alex back to the compound. Take Wanda, Vision, Clint, and Scott. The rest of us can handle the aftermath."

Iron Man rounded on them, his armor dented and scratched from the battle. He landed heavily on the ground and pulled Peter into a quick crushing hug before turning to Steve. "I've got her." The Captain maneuvered Alex into Tony's armored hold, and caught his glare as Tony flipped his faceplate up. "Take care of my kid, Cap."

Steve nodded, obviously understanding the message Tony was trying to get across. In the meantime, Peter was trying to not blush at being called Tony's kid right in front of Captain America. At least now he didn't have to guess if the billionaire felt the same way about him. If Tony thought about Peter as his son, then it was okay for Peter to think of him as his dad.

With a push from his repulsors, Iron Man flew towards the Quinjet, followed by Vision carrying Clint by his harness, and Wanda using her red waves of energy to push upwards. Peter figured that Scott had caught a ride from one of the other Avengers while still miniaturized.

"Spider-Man," Steve called, catching his attention. Peter turned around to see War Machine shooting the last of the Hydra army, while Natasha carried two men by their ankles from the helicopter crash sight. They were both burnt beyond recognition, but Peter thought he saw at least one of their chests heaving. "Run inside and ensure that the civilians are safe and unharmed. Let them know that we've defeated the last of Hydra's army." He clipped his shield behind his back. "I'll help Nat and Rhodes clean up."

Peter nodded and quickly webbed towards the White House, avoiding the destoyed lawn and trying to tie up any unconscious Hydra soldiers along the way so that the Avengers would have an easier time rounding up the enemy. His stomach dropped at the reminder that he was surrounded by _dead_ people, Alex hadn't left any of her targets alive, but then he thought about the attack on the compound, and the innocent Avengers staff members that were killed. These monsters deserved what was coming to them. The families of the murdered staff members would finally have justice.

Once he got up the steps and through the blown-off door, Peter ran to the right, the blueprints to the White House still in the back of his memory. He burst through the doors of the East Room, and his spidey senses went off. Peter twisted out of the way of the rain of bullets, and webbed up towards the ceiling. "Hey, hey! I'm on your side!"

When he looked back down at the crowd, he saw a crowd of men and women in military dress, protecting a mass of people in really fancy evening attire. Twenty or so guys in the front were pointing their guns in Peter's direction. "Party's over, guys. Time to get the hell out of here."

President Ellis pushed his way to the front, yelling at the men to put down their weapons-and _holy shit_ that was the President of the freaking United States! "Spider-Man?"

Peter hopped down to the floor and walked up slowly so that none of those scary Secret Service agents got trigger happy. "Yes sir, Captain America sent me to tell you that it was safe. We've defeated Hydra's army."

A man Peter recognized as Secretary Ross scoffed from the side. "Captain America? The man's a war criminal! How do we know that this isn't all just some trick?"

President Ellis and Vice President Reed gave each other a _look_ before delivering equally harsh slaps to the back of Ross' head. Peter guessed that they were sick and tired of the Secretary's shit too. "Not anymore, Ross, you imbecile. We were already talking about pardoning the Avengers. Does the fact that they just saved all of our asses mean nothing to you?"

Ellis attempted to straighten what was left of his tux, which was just a dirty white button up and his black pants, and turned back towards Peter, extending his hand. "Spider-Man, thank you. The United States government and military are indebted to the Avengers. I will be sure to approve and sign the reformed Accords tonight, after I can kiss my family."

Peter shook it, maybe a too enthusiastically, and laughed. "Thank you, sir! That's so awesome! You're the best!"

The President gave him a strange look before grinning too, "Let's go see the damage, shall we?"


	27. Chapter 27

**Note: It's been a long road, but here we are! Please enjoy the final chapter. **

**Chapter 27**

Tony Stark hated the medbay. He was a grown ass man and competent enough to know his own limits and take care of himself when he pushed himself over them.

That being said, the moment he handed off Alex to the compound's medical staff and dismantled the suit, his legs gave out on him, and if Clint hadn't been there to catch him, Tony would have crumbled to the ground and smacked his head against the tile.

"Whoa there, buddy. Let's get you checked out, alright?"

Tony groaned as they stuffed him into a hospital bed, "I'm fine!"

Clint snorted above him, "Sure you are." He clapped his hand across Tony's shoulder, and the billionaire couldn't help but chuckle at the burst of nostalgia that hit him. It was good having the archer back. He would never admit it outloud, but he missed Clint fiercly.

He looked over behind him to see Wanda, Sam and Scott being checked over by the medical staff while Vision hovered close by. Tony suddenly felt anxious and tightened his grip on the bed rails. "Hey," Clint called softly with a small smirk on his face, grabbing his attention again. "We aren't going anywhere. Don't worry, Tony."

He relaxed immediately, and nodded as the doctors wheeled him away.

A few hours later found him hunkered down in medbay surrounded by seven empty beds to his left, and one filled by an unconscious teenager to his right. The doctors confirmed that Tony had a broken nose and three cracked and bruised ribs, all of which would have snapped during the battle if Cap hadn't wrapped him up so well in the Quinjet. He had an IV drip replenishing his fluids to help circulate blood flow to return his numbers to the proper levels. Beside him, Alex had untold amounts of damage to her muscles, and her body was extremely fatigued, but the doctors were confident that she would come back to herself after a few days of bedrest.

Tony flipped the television on while Clint relaxed in the chair in between their hospital beds, legs up and resting on Tony's. It wasn't difficult to find news coverage of tonight's battle, and the billionaire instantly began wishing that he had stayed behind to handle the press. He was _Tony Stark_, this is what he was good at. The others shouldn't have to be thrown into the limelight just because he had been tortured for five measley days.

Surprisingly enough, they were painting the Avengers in a _positive_ light. That was certainly a new one. Clint and Tony shared a look and returned to face the screen. Ambulances were lining the driveway and giving medical attention to the men and women who were victims caught in the crosshairs of the battle. Ellis, Reed, and Ross were standing out on the lawn next to Steve, Rhodey, Nat, and Peter, shaking their hands in thanks. Tony took a moment to thank the universe that Peter was thinking clearly enough to keep his mask on. He didn't need the world to know his kid was Spider-Man because of a random fluke or miscalculation on Peter's part.

_While the Avengers will be giving an official statement at a press conference in a few days, we were able to discern that the terrorist organization known as Hydra infiltrated the White House during the Gala Military Ball with the intent to wipe out our country's top military leaders. Thanks to the quick thinking and combined efforts of the Avengers team, their plot was foiled, and our country is safe again. This comes after months of controversy…._

Tony flipped the television off, suddenly weary of rehashing past conflict. Clint grunted in his chair and side-eyed him. "You know, I was pissed at you for a really long time."

The billionaire stiffened in his bed upright, his hands fiddling wildly with the remote. He didn't respond. There wasn't anything else to say. Sorry didn't really cut it when he was the reason a good man was taken away from his family for a month before being sentenced to house arrest.

"But I'm good now." Tony furrowed his brow and looked over. Clint was watching him carefully, "I was good before Steve came to ask for my help you know. They didn't need to convince me to come find you." The archer still maintained his air of nonchalance, but shifted slightly so that he wasn't looking Tony in the eye. "Everything that went down last year is in the past. After this whole ordeal, I think it proves that we can be a team again."

Tony wanted that. He desperately wanted to have the Avengers back together again. They were his _family_, and while he wouldn't trade his time with Pepper and Peter for anything, things were somehow complete when everyone else was here, having his back. The only major hangup would be his relationship with Steve. He wasn't even sure what he felt anymore, but Tony didn't think it was mistrust.

Sure, Tony was still _monumentally_ pissed that Steve didn't tell him about his parents, but he couldn't find it in him to be angry about Barnes anymore, not after watching Dante try to wipe Alex. He felt sorry for the Winter Soldier now, and Tony wondered where he ended up, because he didn't come with the others back to New York.

And despite their fight in Siberia, Steve had kept his promise and came whenever Peter had called. He cared enough to come save Tony when he needed him, and that was something the billionaire had a hard time wrapping his head around. Steve didn't owe Tony anything, and he risked getting himself and the rest of his team arrested-_again-_to rescue Tony and Alex.

That was another thing, Steve's instant protectiveness over Alex. Tony knew he was a stand up guy in every sense of the word, but he held no obligation towards the teenager. Tony wondered if her background with the mafia made him sympathetic, or if it was Hydra's interest in her. Either way, Tony wasn't going to complain. Having another superhero worry about the teenager's well being might add a few years to his life.

Speaking of teenagers…"Hand me my tablet and phone, will you?" Clint nodded and walked over to the counter, handing both devices over to Tony before retaking his seat.

Tony thought his first move now that he was pretty coherent should be to call Pepper and let her know that he was okay. She answered on the first ring, and he couldn't help the stupid grin that stretched across his face. "Pep!"

"_Tony! Oh thank god, are you okay? Where are you right now?"_ The relief in her voice was evident.

"I'm fine, Pep, don't worry about me. I'm in medbay right now at the compound."

The sound of car door slamming could be heard in the background. "_You are in medbay? Has the world ended? I'm headed there now. How's Peter? And Alex?_"

Tony smiled again at the fact that Pepper thought to ask about the kids. "Peter's still in D.C., Nat will bring him home soon. Alex is here next to me. The doc said she'll be out for a while, but she's going to be okay."

"_Good, good. I'll see you soon, Tony. I love you_."

"Love you too."

He clicked off the phone and placed his tablet in his lab, ignoring the smirk on Clint's face. "Shut up, Legolas."

Clint held his hands up in defense, "Hey, I'm just happy to see that you and Pepper worked it out. Last I heard she needed a break."

Tony shrugged, stomach churning as he thought about last year. "Yeah, it got to be a little too much for her. I was supposed to be retired, you know how that is." He shot the archer a knowing look before he continued. "But things just kept coming up, and I realized I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. She needed a few months to wrap her head around it, but she came around eventually."

"Sounds like things are good, huh?"

The billionaire smiled again, this time down towards his tablet. "Yeah, things are good. I've been holding onto a ring for nine years now."

When Tony looked over again, Clint's eyes had gone wide with excitement, "You thinking of finally popping the question?"

"Thinking about it." Tony mused, "I want to talk to Peter about it. The kid's got some great ideas about that kind of stuff. You should hear him go off about how he thinks I'm crazy for waiting so long."

Clint chuckled again, "And you're sure that kid isn't yours? He's like a mini Stark, just without the dramatic flare."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Trust me, Peter can be just as dramatic as I can, if not more. But yes, I'm sure. I was a wild playboy back in the day, but I wasn't a _stupid_ wild playboy. Plus, I ran his DNA to study when I found out that he was Spider-Man. Peter is one hundred percent Richard and Mary Parker's kid."

"Richard and Mary Parker?" Clint's eyebrows shot up above his hairline, "That's not-"

"Yeah." Tony cut him off with a flick of his hand. "Same people."

Clint whistled loudly before he winced and double checked that he didn't rouse Alex. When the coast was clear, he returned his attention to Tony. "Does he know?"

Tony shrugged, biting in the inside of his cheek. "I'm not sure. I haven't talked to him about it. It's not exactly a safe conversation topic, you know?"

"Yeah...damn." Clint shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He took the tablet out of Tony's hands, ignoring the whine. "Time for you to get some rest. I'm going to go check on the others."

Tony pouted for a moment before admitting that he really was exhausted. Plus, he already completed the purchase he was working on, so maybe if he didn't have his tablet or phone anymore, then he wouldn't have to read any of the multitude of emails that were sure to come flying in once the purchase went public.

He settled in underneath the covers and turned to his side, watching the steady rhythm of Alex's breathing and letting it lull him to sleep.

XX

When Peter stepped off the Quinjet into the hangar, he sprinted towards the compound, not bothering to wait for his teammates. He had tried to call Tony when they left D.C., but his phone went straight to voicemail. When he talked to Aunt May, she told him to listen to the other Avengers, if they said Tony and Alex were okay, then Peter needed to trust them.

Still, he didn't think the anxiety spike in his system would go away until he saw them for himself. He didn't even realize he had cut through the atrium until he stopped in front of the new memorial fountain. Peter paused to admire the design, the Avengers "A" standing in the center of a stone water basin. The deceased's names were etched into the stone surrounding the fountain.

It wasn't anything fancy, or elaborate. Peter thought it was perfect. He took a moment to take in his surroundings, noting that the structure looked fantastic. Whoever was hired to rebuild did an excellent job. A hand touched his shoulder, and he spun around to find Natasha watching him carefully. "Let's go check on everyone, shall we?"

Peter gave her a soft smile and nodded. Steve and Rhodey climbed into the elevator with them, and Peter's energy climbed again as F.R.I.D.A.Y. took them to the medbay. He was excited to celebrate the good news with Tony. Peter figured that everyone at the compound had heard, considering that President Ellis' speech was broadcasted live. When the doors opened, the rest of the Avengers greeted them with tired smiles as they lounged around the medbay surrounding Tony and Alex's beds. Both were awake, albeit moving slowly. The bags underneath their eyes were thick and bruised, and neither seemed to be able to do much more than sit up in their bed propped up by pillows.

"Kid!" Tony yelled over the movie that was playing, Finding Dory, with bright eyes. Peter pushed past the others and moved into Tony's outstretched arms.

Peter sighed against Tony's chest, overwhelmed with relief that both he and Alex were safe. "I'm so glad you're both okay." He twisted in Tony's hold to look at his friend, who was smiling at him. Natasha and Steve moved over to stand next to her bed.

"We're fine, Pete. Doc says that we will be in here for a few days, we'll see how long that lasts."

Alex gave a weak laugh, "I give Stark thirty-six hours max."

"I'll take that bet," Nat prompted with a popped brow.

Clint dug around through his pockets until he found a twenty dollar bill and slapped it on the foot of Tony's hospital bed. "Let's make this official, shall we?"

Tony waved away the sparse bills that were making an appearance, "All of you, shut it. I want to hear how everything went tonight." He looked back at Peter expectantly, then his eyes flickered over to Steve.

The Captain swallowed and straightened his back, "Well, I can tell you that I think the four of us have a new appreciation for your innate ability to sway the press."

Tony smirked and looked at Rhodey, "Is that so?"

"I don't think I've ever seen the Captain's eyes get so wide," Rhodey joked. "There were at least one hundred people there shouting and demanding to know what happened. It's a good thing Peter rolled up with the President to calm things down."

"Since when is my kid buddy-buddy with the President of the U.S. of A?" Tony asked with a chuckle, repositioning himself so that Peter could slide into the bed next to him.

Peter shrugged, "Since we kicked ass and he gave the announcement that all of the rogue Avengers are officially pardoned."

Silence met him, and Peter looked around, confused. The only people that didn't seem surprised were Rhodey, Nat, and Steve, and they were all there with him when the President gave the announcement.

"Wanna run that by me again?" Tony asked, chancing a look at Cap, then Clint, Scott, and Wanda.

Steve leaned back against the wall, still standing vigilantly beside Alex. "I guess you haven't been watching the news. Ellis was grateful for our response tonight, and bulldozed over Ross, announcing our official pardon on live television."

"We have a meeting set for next week," Pepper explained with a smirk, striding out of the elevator. Both Peter and Tony perked up at her arrival, and she happily squeezed in on Peter's other side of the bed and dropped a kiss on his forehead before pecking the billionaire's lips. "Isn't this a nice surprise?" She said, gesturing towards the small crowd. "I see that the family is back together again."

The Avengers all looked at one another with warmth, and the tension melted away. "Speaking of which…" Tony started, and looked up at Pepper expectantly.

She gave him a fond smile and rolled her eyes, "Yes, Tony, the deal went through. They will be out by late next week."

"What deal?" Wanda asked from the side, snuggled up against Vision.

Tony pulled Peter in closer, running a hand through his hair, and looked over at Alex. "Well, since we've got two teenagers around now, I thought it might be a good idea to be a little closer to the city."

Steve shook his head in disbelief, excitement lacing his voice. "You bought the tower back, didn't you?"

Clint straightened in his chair, his back popping. "No way, you didn't!"

The billionaire shrugged nonchalantly, "I did. So, if you want to join Nat and I, we are going to be moving back in. You'll have your own floors and everything."

Steve glanced over at his team for a moment before answering with a heart-stopping smile. "We'd be honored Tony, thank you."

Peter looked around, examining the Avengers. They weren't perfect, and they had a few issues to work out, but they'd be okay.

Families had each other's backs.

And the Avengers were a family.

XX

_Three weeks later_

"I'm fine, Steve!" Alex groaned, taking a box of clothes out of the Captain's hands. "I can carry my own stuff."

She turned on her heel and stomped into her suite. She didn't get her own floor like the other Avengers, but Steve had an extra guest bedroom that he insisted she take. Since Peter was staying in Tony's guest room, Alex didn't feel so bad moving into a room that came with America's dad looking over her shoulder. Although to be fair, when she agreed, she didn't think Steve would be such a mother hen about _everything_.

"Alex," he chided softly, completely in contrast to his Captain America voice. "You just got out of medbay a few days ago, you shouldn't be lifting anything."

She scowled at him, "They only kept me in there so long because _you_ wouldn't let them release me! I'm _fine_."

Alex began unpacking her boxes, stuffing clothing into the dressers and the books the Avengers had been giving her into her bookcases. Steve hovered by the door, his arms crossed while he leaned against the frame. "I'm just trying to look out for you."

She sighed, the argument suddenly losing its spark. Alex crawled onto the bed and turned to face him. "I know. I really am okay, though. Peter and I have been training in the gym since I got out, and I haven't felt fatigued even once. He would probably tell you if I had."

Steve gave her an affectionate smile, "I know, kiddo. Peter is terrible at keeping secrets." They both laughed at that, and he moved to sit in the day chair by the window. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something."

She narrowed her eyes at the super soldier, and crossed her legs. "That never means anything good."

He shrugged, "well, I guess it's about how you look at it."

"Go on…" Alex drolled, waving him on with her hand.

Steve shifted in the chair again. "Well, Tony mentioned that he asked you if you wanted to go to school in the Spring? He could get you set up at Midtown High with Peter."

She chewed on the inside of her cheek nervously. "Uh, yeah. It sounded fun. I mean...I've never been around people my age before. So it could be you know, good. I guess."

The super soldier nodded, "I think it would be great for you. You wouldn't start for a month and a half or so. However, in order to get you registered, we would need to assign you a legal guardian."

Alex froze, her heart suddenly picking up a frantic pace.

"Well, I spoke to the other Avengers about it...and I wanted to ask if you if it would be okay for me to sign the paperwork? I would like to be your legal guardian, if you'll let me."

Steve sounded so earnest, it almost hurt to tell him anything other than yes. But she wasn't ready for that. Her heart dropped, and Alex couldn't look him in the eye. "I...listen Steve, you're really great, and I like you a lot. But I'm not ready to have a guardian yet. I haven't...I'm not…" She took a deep breath, and shook her head. "My entire life has been a _lie_. My parents never loved me. They were cruel people who experimented on me so that they could turn me into some kind of weapon. The only father I've ever known turned out to be just another monster. I don't even know _where_ he is right now. I don't know if he's alive or dead. I can't move on with something...like _this_...until I have some closure." Alex finally looked back up at Steve, expecting him to be angry or upset, but instead he was just smiling softly at her.

"I understand, Alex, don't worry. You've had a pretty tough track record when it comes to parental figures. I just wanted to let you know that the offer is always there, and I'm going to take care of you whether the paperwork is signed or not." He stood up and dropped a large hand over the top of her head as he walked towards the door. "And I think you'll get your answers on Genovese sooner rather than later." Steve winked at her before leaving her alone with her thoughts.

XX

Turns out Steve was right. A few days later found Alex, Peter, Stark, Steve, Natasha, and Rhodes at the Avengers' Compound. While the team had moved into the tower, their base of operations was still located upstate.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Stark asked nervously, wringing his hands and pacing a hole through the ground.

Alex swallowed past the lump in her throat, leaning her elbows over the back of the couch. "No, but I have to do this."

Peter slid into the space next to her and nudged their shoulders together. His brown eyes were filled with a combination of worry and compassion, an expression she'd come to seen often in their time together as friends. "We'll be right here if you need us, you know that right?

She tried to reciprocate his smile, but it probably just came out as a strained grimace. Her hands shook, and she reached down to wipe them across the thighs of her jeans to try and get rid of the accumulating sweat. Natasha appeared by her side and pushed a lock of Alex's hair behind her ear. "Steve and I will be in there with you. If it gets to be too much, you just give the signal. He's not going to hurt you again."

Alex sucked in a deep breath, steading herself. "I know. I'm ready."

"Just remember Alex," Steve began as he led her towards the interrogation room with Nat on her heels. "He's hard to look at after the explosion. He still isn't cleared by the hospital, but Fury was able to pull some strings and have him transferred here for our little talk."

She nodded silently, not quite trusting herself to speak as he opened the door for her, and walked in with both Steve and Natasha by her side. Joey sat chained to the table, and Alex had to force down the instinct to plug her nose. Her 'father,' was almost unrecognizable. His skin was covered in large ugly blotches of third degree burns, and the smell of decaying flesh was almost overwhelming. All of his hair was gone, and the rest of his head was covered in stained gauze and bandages.

"Alexandria," the man hissed, her name coming out scratchy and hoarse on his tongue. "_Mi figlia,_ how nice of you to come and visit your father."

His words shook her from her momentary shock, and Alex tightened her fists at her sides. "You are not my father, Joey."

He gave a gruesome chuckle, coughing up a lung at the end. "I raised you for ten years, _mi figlia._ You were under _my_ care, I don't care what the lawyers say now, you have always been, and always will be, _mine_. Is your name not still Alexandria _Genovese_?"

She flinched backwards. It was true. She hadn't been Alex Anderson for ten years, and she would never dream of going back to that name after finding out the role her parents had in her upbringing. But Alex didn't care if she shared the name of the monster before her. It didn't define who she was, and _definitely_ didn't give Joey any sort of hold over her.

She needed to let go of the fear he evoked in her.

No matter what her relationship with the Avengers was now, no matter how connected she felt to Peter, Stark, Nat, and Steve, fear would _always_ hold her back if she didn't do something about it now. The man before her had raised her to believe that love, affection, and trust were ideals that were meant to be earned, never freely given. He had stolen her identity, stripping her down into a monster she barely recognized. It was Joey's fault that she was incapable of moving forward in her new life with the Avengers. If she was still afraid of the shell of a man in front of her, what did that say about her?

That she was weak, and that she needed to be strong.

That was what Joey taught her, after all.

"I _do not_ belong to you. When I leave here, I'm never going to look back." As she spoke, a slight gust swirled around her, dancing between the strands of her hair. "Your family is either dead or behind bars, Hydra sent an army to fight the Avengers and _lost_, scurrying back into their holes like the vermin they are. You are _alone_, Joey. You will be forgotten. You have nothing left. You're _worthless_." She hissed the last word, hoping the truth of it would get through his thick skull.

She was met with silence, and Alex could practically see the utter hatred twist his already marred face. He rasped, fighting to breathe in the air that she was manipulating. "You have the audacity to call _me_ worthless?" Joey scoffed, wiping his charred hand across his lips, smearing the blood that accumulated from the cracks. "Look at you! You are _unloveable_, Alexandria. Your parents knew it, I knew it, and your precious fucking Avengers know it too! You are _nothing_ more than the power that you wield. You are _weak_ without my discipline, Alexandria, and you will live the rest of your days trying to amount to your true potential, but it will be wasted because you are _nothing_ without me."

Alex took a step backwards, Joey's words thrashing as if they were cutting her with a blade. She collided into a solid wall of muscle, and she looked backwards to see Steve looking down at her with a stony facial expression that screamed, '_don't even think about listening to this man._' She turned to see Natasha giving her the same look, and Alex found the pain from Joey's threats dampening. He was wrong, that was all there was to it.

She thought about a day last week where Stark pulled her down to the lab for a conversation. Alex had just been cleared from medbay, _finally_ (no thanks to Steve), and he was waiting outside of her room in the compound. "Come with me."

Stark didn't give her any sort of explanation, but that was kind of par for the course in the time she had known him. Alex followed him to his workshop and paused in confusion when he shoved a three-inch nail into the palm of her hand. "What…?"

He stood with his eyes focused on her hand with his arms folded across his chest. "I want you to do something with it."

Alex took it between her fingers and examined it, "Okay...like what?"

Stark shrugged, "Whatever you think you can do with it. Down in the Fold, Dante got me thinking."

She stiffened, still trying to block out the memories of her time in that terrible place.

He waved past her distress with his hand. "He said that you were powerful, which is great. True. But he also said you haven't even come close to reaching your potential, which got me thinking…"

Alex had no idea where he was going with this.

"What if you can bend more than just those four elements? What if it's the properties _within_ the elements that you can manipulate? Like…." He gestured towards the nail in her palm. "If you can move the particles of the earth, what's stopping you from bending _processed_ earth? Like metal?"

She stared down at the nail. Honestly, Alex didn't know what to think. It wasn't something she had ever considered, and she couldn't say that he had tried before. "Go ahead," Stark encouraged, "just see what happens."

Alex chewed on the inside of her cheek before shrugging and focusing her attention on the small piece of metal. She tugged on the power within her gut, willing the nail to bend.

Two hours later of staring at the same spot, the metal curled within her palm. She laughed loudly in delight, and caught Stark smirking at her, as if he knew she could do it all along. Once she made it happen the first time, the rest of it came much easier. The next few days were spent with Stark and Peter trying to test the limits of what she could do and raise her body's tolerance to bend larger amounts of metal.

As she glared down at the man who used to be her father, Alex decided that she wanted _him_ to be the one that was afraid for once. With the Avengers by her side, she didn't need to be scared of this monster anymore. She stepped forward, flanked by Steve and Natasha, and rested the palm of her hand against the cool surface of the table.

Joey's charred lips curled across his face, believing his words had given him the upper hand.

Alex willed a surge of power to rock into her fingertips, feeling the immediate response of the metal beneath her touch. Joey's eyes flickered down, widening as he watched. The metal twisted over her fist, creating a sharp gauntlet around her skin.

"H-how…" He stuttered, the words dying in his throat as he looked upon the fierce determination in her eyes. "Are you going to kill me, Alexandria?" Finally, he was understanding the severity of their conversation.

She paused, feeling the tense air within the room. She thought about Steve at her side, Peter and Tony waiting right outside, most likely watching her every move. They would be disappointed, but they would understand. After everything this man had done, he didn't deserve to leave this room alive.

Alex let out a steady breath, and released her hold on the metal, willing it to sink back down to the table's broken remains. "No." Joey had just enough time to crack a disgusting smile before she spoke again, this time cocking her head towards the assassin on her right. "She is."

Steve wrapped a strong arm around her shoulder, leading her out of the room quickly, not bothering to stop and let her see the sheer terror reflected across Joey's face.

XX

"Tony."

"Cap."

"_Tony_."

The billionaire raised his hands in exasperation, finally abandoning the project he was working on and turning around to face the man who invaded his workshop an hour ago. "Fine, _Steve_, what do you _want_?"

The super soldier let out a sigh and uncrossed his arms, stepping closer to the workbench and depositing himself onto a stool. "You know what I want, Tony. It's been a month and a half. We need to talk about this."

"Talk?" Tony asked with an air of innocence. "Why would we need to do that? We've lasted a good while without talking about it, and nothing has burned down. The Tower is still standing, right?"

Despite his own words, the billionaire finally gave Steve his attention. Well, he gave him about eighty-percent of of attention. Seventy-five. He needed to do something with his hands if they were going to have this conversation, so he fiddled with upgrading DUM-E.

"Thank you." Steve's tough demeanor crumbled before his very eyes, his face dropping and shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry again for not telling you about your parents, Tony. _And_ for our fight in Siberia. You have to believe me when I tell you that I knew about the surgery. I knew destroying the Arc Reactor wouldn't kill you."

Tony couldn't help it, he froze at the memory of the shield coming down and slicing through the power source that had kept him alive for almost twelve years.

"I thought I was sparing you," Steve continued solemnly. "By not telling you. But I should have trusted you to handle it, because you are stronger than anyone gives you credit for. You were my best friend, Tony. I should have trusted you."

His hands shook so badly that the screwdriver fell to the floor with a loud _clunk_, and Tony had to close his eyes to steady himself. He needed a drink for this. Hell, these days he needed a drink just to be around Steve at all. But he hadn't indulged in that particular demon since the Vulture incident, and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now. Tony could handle this. "I-I'm sorry too." He ground out, the apology tasting funny on this tongue. "I'm sorry for going after Barnes."

Steve shifted uncomfortably in his stool. "Tony, you just found out that the Winter Soldier murdered your parents, and that I kept it from you. I had a lot of time to think about it, and if I had just told you, then we could have avoided..._everything_. We would have worked out the Accords. You would have been able to take my word for it that Buck _didn't_ bomb Vienna. Everything would have been different."

Tony couldn't help the self-deprecating laugh that escaped his throat. "Probably. But I watched Hydra try to wipe Alex's mind like they did Barnes', Steve. The pain she was in…" he trailed off, grimacing at the memory. "No one deserves to go through that. If they did that to him for over seventy years…" The billionaire shook his head, looking back up at Steve's pale face. "It wasn't him. Not really. He needed help, not someone trying to murder him in an abandoned Hydra facility in Siberia."

They were silent for a few moments, neither quite knowing what to say next. It wasn't awkward though, and Tony slowly felt the wrought tension ease out of his shoulders. Finally, Steve gave him a little smile. "He's In Wakanda, you know."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "T'Challa?"

He nodded, "He and Shuri called yesterday. They think he'll be recovered within the next few months."

Tony chewed on the inside of his cheek and thought about Peter and Alex. If either one of them were hurt and in recovery, they wouldn't want to leave the other's side. Barnes was Steve's best friend even before the ice, it was only natural that he would leave for Wakanda to help him in any way that he could. Things were different now though, the super soldier couldn't just pick up and leave for long stretches of time anymore. Although they hadn't really discussed it, Steve had become Alex's primary caregiver.

"They should bring him here." Tony finally said.

Whatever response Steve had been expecting, it wasn't that. He nearly fell off of his stool, "You-_what_? No, Tony. That…that can't happen. Not after…"

The billionaire grunted, reaching down to pick up his forgotten screwdriver. "What did I just say, Cap? Barnes needs _help_. If he's going to be recovering, then he'll need you. My lawyers can work something out where we can keep him at the Compound, and you can have visiting rights or something like that. But you can't just pick up and leave for Wakanda, not with Alex around."

Steve's shoulders were tight as he considered Tony. "How…?"

Tony waved him off, "I'll handle it, Cap. I have Pepper and Peter around, they'll help me keep my head."

Another bout of silence before Steve's gorilla-like arms were crushing him against his chest. Tony released a surprised whine, and tried to scramble out of his hold. "You really are something else, Tony." The super soldier told him fondly before releasing him.

The billionaire pushed away from the contact, not able to keep the flustered smile off his face. "I don't want anymore of..._that_, you hear me Rogers?"

Steve just grinned that million-watt smile and stood up, the tension between them finally dissipating, "Speaking of the kids, I was going to try and talk to Alex again about the guardianship papers."

Tony huffed out a sigh of relief, happy to finally be moving into safer waters. "She won't have to decide for another month. Give her another week, and then you can talk to her about it."

The super soldier nodded, obviously taking his advice to heart. "Thank you, Tony." He clapped a hand on the billionaire's shoulder, and for a second Tony thought he was going to hug him again. Instead, he just smiled softly, "The Avengers need us, you know. _Both_ of us. We started off on the wrong foot on the Helicarrier, and I think that inadvertently set the tone for our friendship. But, if we _build this right_ from here on out, maybe we have a chance of leading our team in a way that doesn't end in another bout in Germany."

Tony placed his hand over Steve's, mind reeling at his words and latching onto a few in particular. "We've got this, Cap. Now get the hell out of my lab."

Steve chuckled and shook his head fondly. "Whatever you say, Tony." He looked back once more at the billionaire before disappearing behind the elevator doors.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., I think it's time to blast some Black Sabbath, don't you?" The music blared through the speakers, and Tony returned to his work feeling lighter than he had in almost a year.

XX

"Are you _sure_ everything is ready?" Tony asked for the millionth time that day, buzzing around the apartment to check for any lights that might have lost power.

May reached over and took his hands, stilling them. "Everything is perfect, Tony. She'll be here soon." Peter's heart skipped at her words, and he actively tried to contain his excitement. It was a few days until Christmas, and they were having dinner at Peter and May's apartment like they did twice a week for the past few months. Since Peter began staying at the Compound on weekends, Pepper and May had become as thick as thieves. It was a friendship that Peter wasn't expecting, but he quickly realized that he shouldn't have been so surprised. Both women were so incredible in their own ways, it would have been impossible _not_ to have grown so close.

Tonight was different, though. Ever since Tony had shown Peter and Rhodey the ring he had Happy carrying around for the past nine years, the billionaire had grown frantic in trying to think of the perfect way to propose. Apparently Pepper wasn't big on grand displays of affection, and she _hated_ having her personal life run rampant in the news. Peter and Rhodey agreed, telling Tony that he needed to calm down and just keep it simple.

With May's help, they decided that an intimate setting surrounded by their closest friends and family was the best way to go. That was why the four spent the entire day cleaning and setting up May's apartment in preparation for dinner tonight. Tony and Rhodey set up hanging string lights around the ceiling, draping them low enough to give the room some ambiance. Peter placed _hundreds_ of the flickering tea lights around their intimate space while May prepared Pepper's favorite meal. Steve and Natasha were back at the tower organizing a party to celebrate the couple's engagement later that night.

Five minutes before Pepper was due to arrive, Tony was still having a mini panic attack. "Oh god, what if she doesn't want this? What if she wants another giant bunny? Girls like stuffed animals, right? Pepper didn't, but maybe she changed her mind. What if she changes her mind about me? I'm going to screw this up. I'm going to-"

He was cut off by Rhodey slapping his hands across Tony's mouth, silencing him. He raised an exasperated brow and leaned in close. "Tones, listen to me very carefully. You are not going to screw this up. You love Pepper, don't you?"

He waited for Tony to nod before continuing, "And she loves you?"

Another nod.

He released his hand and grinned. "Then you're going to be _fine_."

The tension was still tight in his shoulders, so Peter reached over and wrapped his arms across Tony's waist, pulling him in close. "It's going to be fine, Dad. I promise." Finally, Peter felt Tony relax against him, and settled his cheek atop Peter's head.

"Thanks, kid. Man, I love you guys." Tony tightened his grip on Peter before sighing and stepping back to look at the three of them. "You're right, I can do this."

The sound of stilettos hitting the floor indicated that Pepper had just gotten off the elevator. Peter, Rhodey, and May scrambled into the kitchen out of the direct line of sight. Tony took a deep, stuttering breath, glancing over at his little family before positioning himself in the middle of the room, dropping down to one knee and holding out the little black box cradling the ring.

Pepper opened up the door while looking down at her phone, "I'm so sorry I'm late, a meeting at SI ran long and-" The words died in her throat as her eyes finally flickered up, zeroing in on Tony. "What…"

The billionaire cleared his throat and looked up at Pepper as if she hung the moon.

"Pep. _Pepper_. I had a conversation with a friend a few weeks back that got me thinking. Thinking about beginnings and endings. It helped me look at our relationship over the past decade in a new light." He took another deep breath. "We're in the homestretch of some hard times, Pep. We took a hard left along the way, but we turned out alright, I think. Life has tried to put us through it, but you and me? _We built this right_. There's nothing that is ever going to move it. When the bones are good, the rest…it doesn't really matter. Yeah, the paint could peel, and the glass could shatter, but I say 'bring it on,' because you and I will _always_ remain the same."

Tony's voice wavered as he stared up at her. "I know that whatever storm we're facing will blow right over while we stay put. The house won't fall if the bones are good, Pep. No matter how much I try to mess it up, and you can attest that screwing things up is one of my specialties, we'll still be standing. The wolves have come and gone, Pep, and we're _still_ standing. You are my foundation, Virginia Potts. You always have been. It's _always_ been you, Pep." He raised the ring box a little higher, "Will you marry me?"

He barely got the question out before he was bombarded with a sobbing Pepper. She flung her arms around his neck and sunk down to the ground with him, ignoring the tears streaming down her face. "Of course I'll marry you!" She kissed him full on the mouth, and Peter couldn't possibly contain his excitement anymore. He rushed over and joined the hug, delighted when Pepper and Tony didn't hesitate to envelope him in their arms and pull him in close. May and Rhodey laughed, not bothering to wipe away their tears either, and joined the fray.

It was a good night, and Peter relaxed into the hold of his loved ones, relishing in the love and security that surrounded him.

XX

_Three weeks later…_

Peter stumbled into his first period English class right as the bell rang with Alex right on his heels. He sighed with relief, grinning widely at his friend. "Made it."

When he turned, their teacher, Mr. Harris, was frowning at them. "Please find your seat Mr. Parker." The man noticed Alex and furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I've seen you here before. Are you a new student?"

Peter nodded for her, stepping to the side. "This is my cousin."

She flashed him a grateful smile, her gaze flickering across the room of speculative eyes before finally settling on Mr. Harris. She held out a hand for him to shake. "I'm Alex. Alex Rogers."

**Note: Wow, we made it! Took a while to get here, but this story is finally finished **** I have a few mini-stories written as part of this series (Peter & Alex's field trip to Avengers Tower, The return of Bucky, Doctor Strange discovers Alex's hidden ability and we learn the truth about Peter's parents, and Halloween shananigans & Peter is WORTHY). I'm working on an Infinity War & Endgame fic too, but those are WIP's. If you are interested in reading any of those, feel free to follow my page so you know when I post a new part of the story!**

**Seriously guys, thank you to everyone who has read/followed/favorited/reviewed this story, it really means so much. I worked really hard on this, and it turned out to be a freaking monster, so I really hope you enjoyed yourself. **

**If anyone is curious, Tony's proposal basically came straight out of my favorite Maren Morris song "The Bones." Seriously, soooo good. **

**I think I wrapped up about 90% of the story, and anything that is still open ended (Peter's parents, etc.) will be touched on in the next few parts. **

**Thank you again for reading, and I would love to hear what you think. Thanks for sticking with me on this! **

**Love, **

**She'sLikeTexas**


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